Berwick Panthers open district with win

Berwick High School picked up its second straight victory this season and opened District 8-3A with a win as the squad topped Franklin 26-12 Friday.
While Berwick led just 13-12 at the half, the Panthers turned a second-half turnover into points on offense while shortly after, the squad scored again after getting excellent field position
due to a short Franklin punt.
With a 14-point lead, the Panthers held the Hornets back on defense, while its offense ran out the clock to secure the win.
The Panthers had their best offensive performance of the season as they totaled 417 yards (176 rushing and 241 passing).
Collin Louviere led the squad as he completed 12 of 24 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed 25 times for 118 yards and a one score.
“Collin did an unbelievable job running the offense,” Berwick coach Craig Brodie said. “He’s getting better and better every week. He throws some errant routes sometimes, and he tries to make something happen, and he’s just got to learn that sometimes it’s not open. You just throw it away.”
Audwin Williams was Louviere’s top target as he caught 10 passes for 165 yards and two scores.
Defensively, Berwick limited Franklin to just 214 yards of offense (208 rushing and six passing).
Brodie said he thought, other than a hook and lateral that his defense gave up in the second quarter, his defense was “tremendous.”
He also complimented Franklin.
“I thought Franklin played hard,” Brodie said. “They played pretty disciplined. They’re not a bad football team. They’re just inexperienced like us. Coach (Brandon) Small’s doing
a good job with them. I coached Brandon when he was in high school … and I’m real proud of him. … I wish him the best of luck, and I know he’s going to do well here. He’s a good
guy.”
While Franklin had just 12 points, the Hornets had the game’s first big play.
After forcing Berwick to punt on its first possession, Franklin took over at its own 40-yard line.
Devynn Armstead ran for three yards on first down before the speedy back took a toss on second down and raced to the end zone for a 57-yard touchdown.
His two-point conversion run failed, but Franklin led 6-0 with 7:42 remaining in the first quarter.
Berwick needed about two minutes to respond with a big play.
After two carries by Josh Carver netted zero yards on the Panthers next drive, Louviere connected with Kenan Jones on a pass he turned into a 62-yard touchdown reception.
John McCorkle’s extra point was no good, and the score remained tied at 6 with 5:51 remaining in the opening quarter.
Jones finished the game with two receptions for 71 yards and a score.
After stopping Franklin on its next drive, Berwick started its second scoring drive of the first half.
The Panthers ran three straight running plays, including a 14-yard run by Louviere on a 3rd-and-3 situation from the Berwick 43 for a first down at the Franklin 43.
One play later, Louviere connected with Williams for a pass he turned into a 43-yard touchdown reception.
McCorkle’s extra point was good for a 13-6 Berwick lead with 2:36 remaining in the first quarter.
While Berwick’s Barrett Hover recovered an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, the Panthers were unable to do anything on offense.
Meanwhile, Franklin and Berwick both drove into each other’s territory on their next offensive possessions — Berwick, stalling on fourth down when Louviere was intercepted by Kevin Ina.
With possession, Franklin cashed in on the turnover using some trickery.
On third down from the Franklin 8, the Hornets turned to some trickery as Tylon Ireland connected on his lone pass completion of the night to Kyran Webb at the Franklin 14 before lateralling it back to teammate Charles Webb approximately two yards behind him.
Charles Webb took the pitch 86 yards to the end zone.
Charles Webb’s two-point run failed, leaving the Panthers with a 13-12 lead with 2:27 remaining in the half.
While Berwick drove to the Franklin 20 on its next possession on the strength of four receptions by Williams including one on a 4th down-and-8 situation, the drive stalled as Louviere’s
fourth down pass from the 20 intercepted by Ina, who was brought down at the Franklin 14 with 2.9 seconds left. Franklin knelt once to end the half.
Franklin got the ball to begin the second half and moved the ball into Berwick territory to begin the third quarter via a 15-yard pass interference penalty on Berwick.
While Davondre Holland was stopped on first down at the Berwick 43, Ireland’s second
down pass was picked off by Berwick’s Larenz Clark at the Berwick 7.
The Panthers took over from there and went on an impressive 16-play, 93 yard drive that ended with a Louviere 4-yard run.
The drive ate up about seven minutes of clock in the third quarter.
Brodie said the Panthers have never had a drive like that.
“That was important (to) try to keep them off the field,” he said.
On the drive, freshman Josh Jones came in at running back in place of Carver, who had to be helped off the field after a carry early in the drive. Jones rushed for 26 yards on the drive
and finished the game with 37 rushing yards.
“All my assistant coaches told me he should have been playing a long time ago, but you don’t want to throw a freshman out there to get beat up,” Brodie said. “He did a great job
tonight.”
Louviere also carried for 44 yards and completed a pass for eight yards on 4th-and-8 from the Franklin 27 to keep a drive alive.
Berwick’s two-point conversion attempt following the touchdown failed, but the Panthers led 19-12 with 29.3 left in the third quarter.
Berwick got the ball back rather quickly after forcing a 3- and-out from the Franklin 31 to begin the fourth quarter.
However, the punt on the play traveled just a yard giving the Panthers a first down at the Franklin 32.
From there, the Panthers headed to the end zone for their final score of the night as Mitchell Sanford connected on a 4th-down-and-7 situation with Williams for a 29-yard
touchdown pass with 8:50 remaining.
McCorkle’s extra point was good for what ended up the 26- 12 final.
Berwick will return to action Friday when it hosts Erath in District 8-3A action.