PERRY, Ga. — Trey Wright's 75-yard interception for a touchdown as the first-half horn blew summed up Flowery Branch's night in Perry.
Perry (11-1, Region 4-4A No. 1 seed) rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead en route to a 42-7 win over the Falcons (8-4 Region 8-4A No. 3 seed) in the second round of the Class 4A playoffs at Herb St. John Stadium.
It wasn't the result the Falcons wanted against the fifth-ranked Panthers, and the third straight year Flowery Branch's season has come to an end in the second round.
Perry's defense was in lockdown mode all night, hauling in two interceptions for a touchdown and converting a Branch fumble into a score.
The Falcons' defense had trouble defending the state's passing leader, Amar Gordon, and his favorite receiver Daequan Wright, but did pick off Gordon in the first quarter. The Falcons, however, couldn't cash it in.
The Panthers light up the scoreboard in the first half, highlighted by two big pass plays -- Gordon to Wright on a 59-yard pass with 4:58 to go in the first and an 85-yard pass from Wright to Dakarai Anderson late in the opening half to go up, 28-0.
In between, the Panthers turned a David Renard fumble on the Branch six-yard line into pay dirt two plays later. Wright capped the drive with a two-yard run.
The Panthers' defense continued to pounce in the second half, picking Renard off on the first play of the drive. Casson Clark returned it for a touchdown with 9:37 to go.
It wasn't until the 10:08 mark in the running-clock fourth quarter that Renard led the Falcons on a scoring drive. Myles Ivey scored on a six-yard run.
