PANAMA CITY, Fla. — The Panama City Panthers lost 42-14 to the Georgia Grit this past weekend, falling to 4-2 on the season.
The Panthers took an early lead when quarterback Gray Stille connected with receiver Deonte Dunklin for a touchdown, making it 6-0. The Grit answered with a touchdown pass and a rushing score. Panama City responded to cut the deficit to 14-12 in the first quarter.
A series of turnovers by the Panthers led to a significant halftime deficit they could not overcome. Despite the loss, there were positives, including the reemergence of linemen Amos Bostick and Silvio Martinez.
The organization also praised a strong community turnout and its sponsors and partners, including the St. Joe Community Foundation for helmet sponsorship, uniform sponsor Sexton’s All-Purpose, team sponsor Aaron Hall and player sponsors Innovations Financial Credit Union, 1 Stop Complete Wash & Detail and the family of Beth Bush Grant.
Additional support comes from gym partner Anytime Fitness in Callaway and field partner the City of Callaway at Gore Park.
The Panthers now turn their attention to next week’s home matchup against the JXN Iron-Hide on April 25 at Gore Park.
Adebanji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City Panthers football drops home opener to Georgia Grit
Reporting by Adebanji Bamidele, Panama City News Herald / The News Herald
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