Sports

Cecil Flowe Era at Parkview Comes to an End

South Gwinnett beat the Panthers 35-21 in legendary coach's final game.

The final score probably wasn't what Parkview football coach Cecil Flowe envisioned for his final game as the top Panther.

The Panthers, suffering through one of the least successful seasons in Flowe's 
23 years in Lilburn, fell 35-21 to visiting South Gwinnett Friday at the Big Orange Jungle. The loss ended a 3-7 season for the four-time state champs and their legendary coach.

But despite the setbacks of the 2013 season, Friday's game ended like many of the more than 200 games Flowe has coached — the Panthers played hard until the end. That may be how many will remember Flowe most of all.

Parkview trailed Friday from the start after fumbling away the opening kickoff and then watching South Gwinnett take a 7-0 lead less than 90 seconds into the game.

The Comets led by margins of 14-3 and 28-10, but each time, Parkview clawed back for their coach.

A 16-yard Richard Walker touchdown pulled Parkview within 14-10 late in the second quarter before South scored touchdowns in the final 7 seconds of the first half, and the first minute of the second half.

But at 28-10, Parkview stayed within reach with a 92-yard return by Jeremy Lacey on the subsequent kickoff. A two-point conversion made it 28-18 with 11:03 in the third.

Will Chandler's 43-yard field goal — he also made one from 42 yards in the first half — made the score 28-21 with 2:56 left in the third.

But another long kickoff return set up a South TD to close the scoring later in the third quarter.

The loss ended Flowe's remarkable run in Lilburn. He compiled a 194-46 record, six appearances in the state finals and 17 playoffs.


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