LAGRANGE, Ga. – The LaGrange College football team is off to their best start since 2008 after their 17-10 win over visiting Brevard College in USA South Athletic Conference action on Saturday at Callaway Stadium in LaGrange, Georgia. With their record improved to 5-1, it is their best start to a season since the Panthers opened at 9-1 in 2008.
The game was the centerpiece of LC's 2025 Homecoming weekend, as LaGrange alumni returned to campus to celebrate with old friends and to cheer on their Panthers.
THE BASICS
Score: Brevard 10, LaGrange 17
Records: Panthers 5-1, 3-0 USA South | Tornadoes 3-3, 1-2 USA South
DRIVE-BY-DRIVE
- On the opening drive of the game, the Panthers reached the Tornadoes' 19-yard line before LaGrange senior kicker Landon Eaker (Ringgold, Ga.) got the home team on the board with a 40-yard field goal. It was Eaker's tenth field goal of the season, coming into the day ranked second in the nation in field goals made per game. The 13-play drive by LaGrange ate up 6:05 off the clock.
- The Panthers' defense had the Tornadoes backed up at their 29 on fourth down when the visitors went to a fake punt as Brevard sophomore punter Samuel Vargas (Westminister, S.C.) beat two tackles for a 16-yard run, giving his team a fresh set of downs. Brevard battled their way into LaGrange territory before back-to-back penalties stalled their drive with LaGrange junior cornerback Jaden Sanders (Springfield, Ga.) making the critical tackle on third down. The Tornadoes were forced to punt.
- The Panthers went to the short-passing game on their ensuing drive, as LaGrange junior quarterback Henry Brodnax (Newnan, Ga.) picked up back-to-back first downs off the playmaking of junior running back Kolby Crawford (Douglasville Ga.). But the offense stalled as the Tornado defense stiffened at midfield, forcing the Black and Red to punt as the second quarter began.
- Brevard showed off their passing game on their next drive, as senior quarterback Ethan Beamish (Simpsonville, S.C.) found senior wide receiver Adam Douglas (Greensboro, N.C.) for a 30-yard gain to reach the LC 16. But on the very next play the Tornadoes would fumble as LaGrange sophomore linebacker Ched Smith (Macon, Ga.) recovered. After a penalty, the Panthers found themselves with the ball back at their own 34.
- After another LaGrange punt, the LC defense went back to work against the Brevard offense. The pass rush did its work against Beamish with LaGrange freshman defensive lineman Zymarion Hudson (Cordele, Ga.) picking up the key quarterback hurry on third down to force another punt. The Panthers would fumble on their ensuing drive, however, giving the Tornadoes possession right back at the LC 32 in the closing moments of the first half.
- After Brevard reached the 11 with a first down, the Panthers defense stiffened. LaGrange senior defensive back Deon King Jr. (Vienna, Ga.) made a critical sack on second down to push the Tornadoes back and Smith made a key tackle on third down to force Brevard to settle for a field goal. The teams went into halftime tied 3-3.
- The second half opened with Brevard going three-and-out with Smith and LaGrange sophomore linebacker Wyatt Tant (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) combining to make the crucial tackle on third down to stop the Tornadoes short of the first down marker.
- After a short punt by the visitors gave the Panthers the ball back near midfield, Brodnax went to work, completing three straight passes capped off with a 17-yard touchdown to LaGrange sophomore tight end Mychal Stillwell (Warner Robins, Ga.) as the home team went up 10-3.
- The Tornadoes answered on their next drive, capitalizing on a Panther penalty to reach the LaGrange 21. As they had all season, LC turned to King to step up and make a play as the senior delivered with a QB hurry on third down, forcing the field goal attempt. Sanders got a finger on the kick at the line of scrimmage, and Brevard would come away empty still down by a touchdown.
- After a LaGrange punt, the Tornadoes took over with 3:19 left in the third quarter.
- Held in check for most of the day by the Panther defense, Brevard sophomore running back Zion Fauntleroy-McDaniel (Hendersonville, N.C.), his team's leading rusher, exploded out of the backfield and down the sideline for a 48-yard rush, with a touchdown narrowly avoided thanks to a pushout tackle by LaGrange senior cornerback Legend Doggett (McDonough, Ga.). As the fourth quarter began, Brevard continued to knock on the door, with Fauntleroy-McDaniel again bursting to the outside for a 17-yard touchdown run, tying up the game at 10-10.
- A stalled drive by the Panthers gave the Tornadoes the back. But on back-to-back plays, LaGrange junior defensive back Keyon Stoutemire (Pensacola, Fla.) broke up the pass, while Hudson tackled Beamish for no gain on third down, forcing a punt.
- After Brevard junior linebacker Will Hadden III (Charlotte, N.C.) intercepted Brodnax, the Tornadoes took over in Panther territory with less than ten minutes to go. With the visitors facing a fourth and short at the LC 29, King made one of the biggest plays of the game as he batted down Beamish's pass at the line of scrimmage, giving LaGrange the ball back with less than seven minutes to go.
- Facing a fourth and one at the Tornado 48, the Panthers went to a wildcat formation only for LaGrange junior running back Tacaris Bozeman (Montgomery, Ala.) to get tripped up behind the line of scrimmage to surrender the ball back. Brevard took over near midfield with 4:34 to go.
- As they had all day, the Panther defense answered the call, tackling the Tornadoes for a loss on back-to-back snaps and making the stop on third down. With 2:06 to go, LaGrange got the ball back at the 20. A penalty on the first play from scrimmage gave LaGrange a first and ten at their own 43 coming out of the two-minute warning. Another penalty gave the Panthers a first down at the Tornado 45. Then on a trick play, Bozeman hit LaGrange junior running back Michael Hays (Jacksonville, Fla.) out of the back field for an eight-yard gain before he was pushed out of bounds. On the very next play, Hays took the handoff and exploded downfield for a 37-yard touchdown, giving the Panthers a 17-10 lead with 1:39 to go.
- With the game on the line, the Brevard offense faced off against the LaGrange defense at the BC 39. On the first play from scrimmage, Doggett made a great play to break up the pass. On second down, LC junior linebacker Dezmond Jones (Thomasville, Ga.) picked off Beamish, as the Panthers defense again made the big play.
- With 1:09 to go and attempting to run out the clock, LaGrange was forced to go for it on fourth down. Brodnax handed off to Hays and the junior picked up enough for the first down, icing the game for the home team.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Hays rushed for a career-high 129 yards off 19 carries to lead the Panthers, giving him an even 400 yards on the season though six games. Hays' 37-yard touchdown with 1:39 left in the fourth quarter broke the game wide open.
- Brodnax finished with 118 passing yards on 21 attempts.
- Beamish, USA South's second-ranked quarterback in completion percentage, went 23-of-31 with 185 yards. Jones' interception of Beamish in the fourth quarter was just Beamish's third all season.
- Fauntleroy-McDaniel led the Tornadoes with 72 rushing yards off 15 carries with one score.
- Crawford finished with five catches for 55 yards and one touchdown to lead the Panthers.
- Smith finished with a team-high eight tackles with a fumble recovery for the Panthers. King was all over the field with five tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries.
- The Tornado defense was led by senior Jadien Deaton (New Albany, Miss.) with nine tackles.
- At press time, the LaGrange scoring defense was giving 18.2 points per game, the second-best mark in the league. The Panthers also rank second in overall defense at 270.2.
- LaGrange senior offensive lineman Trenton Harrison (New Orleans, La.), the Panthers' starting center on Saturday, was feted at halftime as Homecoming 2025's Mr. 1831.
UP NEXT
- LaGrange is back on the field next Saturday when they play host to Huntingdon College in a 1:00 p.m. game.
- Brevard plays their next game at Greensboro College, that coming on Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
For continuing coverage of LaGrange College Athletics, visit lagrangepanthers.com and follow the Panthers on Instagram ( @lagrange_panthers ), Twitter ( @lcpanthers ) and Facebook ( LaGrange Panthers ).
