Despite turning the ball over four times in the first half, the Russellville Panthers came back to outscore homestanding Glasgow 20-19 in a football scrimmage game Thursday.

The Panthers, who are ranked fourth in the state in The Courier-Journal’s preseason Class 1-A coaches’ poll, handed the ball over to the Scotties on a pair of interceptions and two fumbles in the first two quarters.

“Our defense played great but we gave them the ball in good field position too often early,” says Coach John Myers. “Still they held a heck of a football team to 19 points in the three quarters we played.”

Glasgow, which finished 10-3 last year, is ranked fourth in the state in Class 2-A and received two first place votes. Myers predicts Coach Rick Wood’s team is going to be a contender in the playoffs this year.

Still the Panthers came back. Demarcus Hampton, who was the leading rusher on last year’s 8-4 Panther team, scored a touchdown on a 30-yeard-plus run. Quarterback Barrett Croslin, who is beginning his third season as the starting signal caller, scored on an 8-yard run on a fourth-and-3 play.

The key score came on a 25-yard pass from Croslin to Coco Darden with eight seconds remaining in the scrimmage. Senior Corey Wright, the baseball pitcher who is recovering well from Tommy John Surgery on his elbow, kicked two of three extra points, one of which was the deciding digit. Wright has not yet been cleared to subject his elbow to play both sides of the line.

“The score means nothing in a scrimmage, and I told them that if they had drubbed us I would still be proud of them for how well they played,” Myers said.

The head coach said Coach Gwynne Gaddie’s defense stood out as a unit without any one player being the star. Defensive regulars included Christian Naylor, Rashaun Jones, Dustin Morgan, Desmond Quarles, D.J. Hoosier, Jacory Bard, Dequan Beard, Jacob Procter, Josh Bigbee, Hampton, Croslin and Darden.

Joining Croslin and Hampton in the offensive backfield are a combination of Beard and Darden at the slots with Quarles and Morgan alternating at fullback. Flanking Procter at center are some combination of Jones, Brian Clinard, Truston Clayton, Cole and Mason Aguirre, Trey Matthews and Jake Landreth. Zach Hendley often appears in one of the receiving slots.

The Panthers open their season Friday at Trigg County. Glasgow entertains Hart County in the T.J. Samson Bowl.