Red Devils fall to Panthers, 50-6

Vina senior Joseph Emerson scores the Red Devils’ only points on a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

By Josh Prewitt for the FCT
Last week Vina came off a big 16-6 win on the road over region opponent R.A. Hubbard for the first time in school history.
They faced a tough test when undefeated and dominant Hackleburg came into Franklin-Hester Stadium Friday night and won in convincing fashion 50-6.
The Panthers came into the game 6-0 (3-0) and first in the 1A Region 8 standings. Their high-octane offense, averaging 40 points a game and just allowing 8.6 on defense, has been a force this season on both sides of the ball.
Hackleburg junior QB/FS Matt Harper had a huge game for the Panthers finishing the game with 346 total yards (196 passing, 150 rushing) and 5 total touchdowns (2 passing, and 3 rushing). Senior RB/OLB Kristian Jones rushed for 125 yards on 14 carries for two touchdowns and also caught two passes for 20 yards.
Vina’s senior Joseph Emerson would get the Red Devils on the board when he returned a fourth quarter kickoff a whopping 65 yards for a touchdown. Vina showed fight and great effort on the big play, but it wouldn’t be enough, as the Hackleburg Panthers, 7-0 (4-0), went on to win big in a region game over the Vina Red Devils, (3-2) (2-2).
“It was disappointing for our boys who’ve worked so hard,” head coach Luke Childers said. “We’ve just got to regroup and get refocused as we get ready to prepare for another big region game against Phillips next Friday.”
Vina is currently fourth in the 1A Region 8 standings out of 7 teams in the region, and next week will be a big crucial game as the Red Devils face the Phillips Bears, (5-3) (3-1), for third place in the 1A Region 8 standings. The winner of this game will also have tie-breaker over the loser.