Hughes holds off Douglas County’s late-game rally: ‘We finally finished’

Langston Hughes got the redemption it had been waiting for. One year after suffering its only regular-season loss to Douglas County, the Panthers stormed to an early lead and held off a furious late rally to win 44-31 on Friday.

Early on, the game looked like it would be a blowout in favor of the Panthers. Hughes started quickly, driving down the field for points in its first two drives.

“Tonight, I think we came out with some great intensity, different urgency and I think it showed early,” Hines said.

That early burst wasn’t just about big plays — it was part of a larger plan. Hughes leaned on misdirection created by screens and jet sweeps to open gaps and create space in the run game.

This would prove fruitful late in the game to thwart an aggressive Douglas County comeback.

“They’re great inside,” Hines said. “I didn’t want to get my O-line discouraged early, so I could just go around it, go outside, you know, east and west, and try to wear them down.”

While Hughes was finding rhythm and exploiting the edges, Douglas County struggled early to move the ball and get push up front, even with multiple top prospects on its offensive line, including 6-foot-8, 305-pound Georgia target Joshua Sam-Epelle.

“I think for a lot of our guys, it’s a fear of failure,” White said. “They’re so fearful of making mistakes, it hurts us.”

Hughes would hold the lead going into the half, 24-9.

But every time the Tigers found some momentum, Hughes answered.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, running back Qwantavius Wiggins — with his face painted all green like Rambo — broke free for a 99-yard return.

That return looked like the knockout blow, pushing the margin to 31-9. But instead of folding, Douglas County clawed back, with a 22-point fourth quarter.

Johnson seemed to finally find his footing after halftime. Despite a lingering hamstring injury against North Gwinnett, he began using his legs as well to spark the Tigers’ offense — even cleanly hurdling a defender in the fourth quarter, putting to rest any concerns about his hamstring.

White was surprised by how Johnson performed in the second half compared to the first, saying “I have no clue” when asked about the difference.

The 31 points scored in this loss are the most points the Tigers have scored in a game this season.

“I like the fight in the second half,” White said. “I like that they cared a little bit, but the problem I have right now is that they don’t understand that they can never get down on each other.”