Norcross launched a blitzkrieg on Parkview Friday night in Lilburn, scoring 21 points in the first quarter in a 35-14 win over the Panthers.
Parkview (0-2) never recovered from the early onslaught.
Anthony Autry anchored the Blue Devils (2-0) on both sides of the ball with two touchdowns and an interception. Norcross quarterback Joseph Wilber had two TD passes and also ran for another score.
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The early scores came lightning fast. Running back Tanner Maloof struck first with a 35-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 Norcross lead. Parkview’s second play of their next drive resulted in a fumble that put Norcross on the 46-yard line. On the next play, Wilber hit Autry for a 46-yard touchdown pass.
Norcross struck again with 2:04 left in the first with a 3-yard touchdown by Alvin Kamara for a 21-0 lead
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As expected, Parkview fought back. The Panthers scored twice in the second quarter to pull within 21-14.
Parkview’s Chris Carson scored the first TD on an 8-yard run with 9:26 left in the half.
A fumble by Norcross’ Shon Akins recovered by Parkview’s Travon Wright led to another Panther score. Parkview’s Patrick Flowe finished the drive with an 11-yard run to make it 21-14 with a minute left in the half.
Norcross drove to the Parkview 5 just before the half, but Parkview held tough, preventing the Blue Devils from scoring again.
Parkview quarterback Jack Esmonde was intercepted by the Blue Devils Autry early in the third quarter. Autry then finished the ensuing drive by catching Wilber’s 40 yard TD throw to widened the gap 28-14 and seal the game. Wilber added the final TD, a 2-yard quarterback sneak in the fourth.
“We executed like we know we are capable of doing,” Norcross coach Keith Maloof said of the first-quarter outburst. “We had a few letdowns in the second quarter … but we were playing a good team. We have to learn to play all four quarters like that first.”
Parkview coach Cecil Flowe used the first-quarter letdown as a learning lesson. “Hey, it’s 5A football,” he said. “Our kids have to understand when we step on the field under the lights that we’re playing good 5A football teams. They hit us in the mouth that first quarter.”
Parkview was coming off a 14-3 loss to powerhouse Stephenson. “I want to play against good teams,” Flowe said. “They expose our weaknesses, and now we have a week off to work on those weaknesses.”
