Perry Looks to Bounce Back in Week 5 Homecoming Matchup with Veterans
The 1-2 Perry Panthers host the 2-1 Veterans in the 16th all-time matchup for The Endzone's Week Five Game of the Week
PERRY, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – Another week of high school football brings another Houston County showdown in the Week 5 Game of the Week.
At Herb St. John Stadium, the 1-2 Perry Panthers, led by ninth-year head coach Kevin Smith, are coming off a bye week after dropping their last two rivalry games. In both matchups, Perry held first-half leads but failed to execute in the red zone, which Smith said was the key factor in the losses.
Now, after traveling nine and a half miles to play Houston County, the Panthers now host another team just nine and a half miles away, the Veterans Warhawks. Perry will look to secure a win in what will be its only home game until Oct. 24.
Before Smith arrived, Perry had only one region title in program history, won under Herb St. John in 1959. Since then, Smith has led the Panthers to four region titles in the last five years, and in the year they didn’t win region, Perry captured the Class 4A state championship for the first time in school history.
Two years removed from that state crown now, the Panthers graduated 36 seniors from the 2024 roster but enter this season with 41 seniors. Younger players have stepped into key roles, including sophomores Kam Oliver and Bryson Gordon, filling in for the likes of Ahmad “Goot” Gordon, Kory Pettigrew, and Kiel Sparks.
Senior tailback Decorian Daniels and senior quarterback Reid Ginn, the brother of former state champion Colter Ginn, anchor the offense. Ginn has two veteran tight ends in Jackson Thompson and Caster Engelbach, but his offensive line is among the youngest units on the team, with only left tackle Josh Latson returning.
On defense, Perry’s most experienced group is in the box, with seniors Noah Clark, Anteros Sims, Kyle Brown, Janaris Reeves, Jaiden Coleman, Andrew Battle and Jamarien Green leading the way after the departure of defensive end Jordan Donald to Western Kentucky.
The Panthers now turn their attention to a 2-1 Veterans squad that has shown improvement from last season’s 38-0 Perry victory. Extra fuel to the fire is added with Friday’s matchup also serving as Perry’s homecoming game.
“They’ve done a good job. We’ve made some mistakes that we couldn’t put enough plays together to have success, but I think we’ve gotten better,” Smith said. “The goal of this team is this is the most important game, because it’s the next game on the schedule. We’re trying to get better during the process. We understand this is a process. It’s not a final product right now. Where are we going to be six weeks from now? And I think this team has really bought into that.”
Smith said the offense must improve its red zone efficiency after recent struggles. “We can move the ball between the 20s, but get inside the red zone and goal line, we got to be able to put points on the board.”
Players echoed the need for execution and discipline. “Our record doesn’t really tell the whole story,” Battle said. “I just want to see our guys bounce around and have the energy that we have at practice and put it together in the game.”
Ginn emphasized the need to finish drives: “Defense has done a great job to give us a chance to score and win. We got to just get it in the end zone more, play by play, play the next play.”
“I want to see a high level of execution on both sides of the ball,” Smith added. “Defense has been playing really well, lights out, but we have given up a couple plays here and there. I don’t foresee it being a one-sided game. It’s going to be a good old blood bath between us and them.”
Perry has won the last four meetings against Veterans and will seek its ninth victory in the 16th all-time meeting between the two programs Friday night at the Panther Pit.
Kickoff at Herb St. John for the Perry Panthers and Veterans Warhawks is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Catch highlights from this game and several others, on this Friday’s edition of The Endzone on 41NBC News at 11 p.m. Tune into live pregame coverage from the Panther Pit on 41NBC News at 5, 5:30, and 6 p.m.
