Despite taking an early lead in the first quarter, the Florala Wildcat football team ended its season with a 54-7 loss against top-ranked Lanett High School in the first round of the AHSAA Class 1A state playoffs.

The Wildcats jumped ahead early when Jacob Hammac connected with Andeon Whiteon a 60-yard reception on the second play of the game. Hammac made the extra point to put the Wildcats up 7-0. The touchdown would be their only one of the night.

The Lanett Panthers wasted no time, scoring on the first play of their drive. The Panther quarterback rushed through the Wildcat defense to score the touchdown, but the Panther kicker missed the PAT. The Wildcats were still up 7-6.

The Wildcats had high hopes of scoring again when Logan West caught the ball and ran all the way to the opposing 2-yard line, but the ball was stripped and the Panthers recovered.

Lanett took advantage of the turnover immediately when the Panther quarterback scored a 98-yard rushing touchdown to go ahead 13-7.

With 6:00 left in the first, the Panthers added to their score when the panther running back broke free from his own 38-yard line. After a failed PAT, Lanett went up 19-7.

The Panthers kept things rolling when their quarterback connected with a wide receiver for a 65-yard touchdown to increase their lead to 27-7.

In the third quarter, the Panthers defense added to their score after a pick six. With 9:23 left in the quarter, Lanette was up 34-7.

Two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter added to the Panther scoring fiasco and then a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter finished off the game 54-7.

“We came out guns blazing,” Head coach Scott Mason said. “We moved the ball down the field twice in the beginning of the game. We just made a lot of mistakes.”

Mason said that the season was a success despite the loss.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Mason said. “We had a great rebuilding year coming from a team that hadn’t even won a game. This is a process and I am really proud of these boys.”

The Florala Wildcats ended the season with a 5-6, 4-3 record.