Late Redbirds touchdown edges Panthers

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ It was another week, another heartbreaking loss for the Pinckneyville Panthers on Friday night, as they fell 27-20 at West Frankfort after a last-minute touchdown drive by the Redbirds.

The Panthers fell behind 20-7 early in the fourth quarter when a controversial pass interference call helped set up the Redbirds' third touchdown.

A 17-yard touchdown pass from Bryant Shute to Nathan Morton and a 2-yard touchdown run by Ben Harris tied the game for Pinckneyville, and the Panthers had an opportunity to take the lead with the extra point or two-point conversion with 1:26 to play. Despite Shute having made both of his previous kicks, the Panthers elected to go for two, and came up empty.

"(Shute) didn't think he could kick it," said Panthers' head coach Tod Rushing. "(West Frankfort) had gotten him in the leg and he didn't want to take a chance."

A poor kickoff led to good field position for the Redbirds, and three quick pass completions led to Kendrick Simelton's three-yard score with 16 seconds to play.

Pinckneyville will look to regroup at Benton in week three.

For more on the game, see Tuesday's edition of the Du Quoin Evening Call. The newspaper will not publish on Monday in observance of Labor Day.

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