Whether it was the hard fall he took, or excitement of playing on Homecoming night, Prairie Home senior Kody Simmons took advantage of the spotlight.
Simmons, a starting forward, brushed off an awkward fall early in Friday's game, finishing with 30 points in his team's 69-31 victory over Otterville in a Cooper County Activities Association matchup.
Simmons had 20 points in the third quarter, helping the Panthers blow open the game.
"I don't know what got into him. It must have been that fall in the first quarter," joked Prairie Home head coach Dalton Armontrout. "He goes so hard and never stops. He has a great motor and he's a great kid, as well. I was happy for him."
Despite a capacity crowd and great atmosphere on Homecoming night, Otterville kept the game close for awhile. The Panthers led 15-10 after the first quarter, but pushed the lead to 32-16 at halftime.
"The kids were a little nervous," Armontrout said. "I had to call a timeout and settle them down a bit. This was my first Homecoming here, but I liked it. I wish every game was like this."
Led by Simmons, Prairie Home pulled away in the third quarter. At one point, Simmons scored seven straight points, extending his team's lead to 54-21. The Panthers outscored Otterville, 29-7, in the period.
Prairie Home senior guard Rayce Kendrick, who surpassed 1,000 career points earlier this month, finished with 15 points.
"Rayce caught fire pretty quickly in the first quarter," Armontrout said. "It seems like when he gets going, we get going."
The Panthers, who extended their win streak to four games, improved to 11-7 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Records in the CCAA only count when teams play for the second time.
"You want to stay hot going into district play," Armontrout said. "We're hoping for that No. 3 seed, but just getting wins right now is a great accomplishment."