Jemison’s Austin Moore (No. 15) fights through an arm tackle of a Marbury defender. (Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Special)

By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser

A week of homecoming festivities came to a bitter end on Friday night, as the Marbury Bulldogs knocked off the Jemison Panthers 40-33.

It would not take long for the Bulldogs to get on the board as the first play from scrimmage went 52 yards for a Marbury score and made the score 8-0 with just 23 seconds removed from the clock.

After both teams exchanged scoreless possessions, the Panthers punched one in the end zone with a 19-yard touchdown run by Eric Evans to pull Jemison to within two.

The two point deficit would not last long as the Bulldogs scored again with their ensuing drive on a 24-yard touchdown drive by Keyshawn Palmer to make the score 15-6.

The Panthers again answered with a scoring drive of their own with Evans picking up his second score of the night with a 3-yard touchdown run to bring the score to 15-14, still in the first quarter.

The Marbury offense again answered with a touchdown on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Bo Stinard to Brandon Wilkes, but with just 15 seconds left in the first half, the Panthers found the end zone once again to make the score 21-20 in favor of the Bulldogs at the half.

Jemison took their first lead of the game with the first possession of the second half on a 23-yard touchdown carry by Evans to give the Panthers a 26-21 lead.

The lead would not last long as Stinard found Wilkes for a 46-yard touchdown reception to give Marbury the lead once again, 27-26.

A scoreless drive by Jemison turned the ball over to Marbury with the Bulldogs going to work from their own 38.

Five plays later, Keyshawn Palmer extended the Bulldogs lead to eight, 34-26 with 1:33 to play in the third.

A Jemison fumble on the ensuing drive set the Bulldogs up deep in their own territory, but the poor field position would be of no consequence as on the first play of the drive, Stinard hit Ezekiel Cheeks for a 90-yard touchdown pass to give Marbury a 40-26 lead.

With 3:14 to play in the game, Evans drew the Panthers to within one possession with a 4-yard touchdown carry, but the Bulldogs used their ensuing drive to run out the remaining 3:14 to take home a 40-33 win.

Evans led the Panthers with 326 yards on 36 carries with five touchdowns, while throwing 10 times with five completions for 66 yards.

Stinard completed 10 of 16 pass attempts for 288 yards and three touchdowns, while Palmer rushed for 178 yards on 18 carries with three touchdowns.