Minutes after Lakeside posted another shutout victory, the school's band began playing the Rocky theme song.

With defense leading the way, the Panthers knocked out its third consecutive opponent with an 18-0 win over Glenn Hills.

With a steady rain falling most of the first half, the teams were locked in a defensive struggle.

But Lakeside sophomore quarterback Mark Weidenaar, in his first varsity start, tossed touchdown passes of 36 and 51 yards in the second half to help give the Panthers a key Region 3-AAAA victory.

"Our offense had to step it up kind of late and help our defense out," said Weidenaar, who played the entire game in place of Ben Wilson.

Wilson, the team's main quarterback, suffered a concussion in last week's game and was held out for precautionary reasons.

"At halftime, we were a little frustrated because we weren't able to drive down the field on them. We just came out fired up, wanting to get a win," Weidenaar added.

With the victory, Lakeside posted its first 3-0 start in six seasons. But it did not come easy. Glenn Hills' defense held the Panthers to 159 total yards of offense, 17 in the first half.

The Spartans stubbed their toe with a slew of mistakes.

Glenn Hills lost four of six fumbles and got called for two safeties. Also, Kevin Johnson's 61-yard punt return in the third quarter was called back after a block in the back penalty.

The Spartans were held to 123 total yards. Glenn Hills gained 72 rushing yards on 29 carries, but a large chunk of that total came on Justin Lord's 34-yard run in the first half.

The Spartans trailed 2-0 at halftime, but they fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half. After Glenn Hills' defense held, its offense gave the ball away again.

Spartans quarterback Kendrick Armstrong fumbled the ball at midfield, and this time Lakeside took advantage.

On first down from their 49, the Panthers called a wheel play for running back Ricky McMurtrey. He darted wide open down the right sideline and Weidenaar completed his second pass of the night, a 51-yard touchdown.

"We knew it was going to be there and it was," Weidenaar said. "There was no one near him."

After Ben Hunt nailed the long extra point after a excessive celebration penalty, Lakeside went up 9-0. It was more than enough points for a Panthers defense that entered the game with shutouts against Columbia County rivals Evans and Greenbrier. In those contests, Lakeside allowed neither team to enter inside its own 20-yard line.

Glenn Hills, however, finally penetrated the Panthers' red zone. Lord's juggling 33-yard catch advanced the Spartans to the Lakeside 40. Two plays later, the Panthers were called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Glenn Hills had first down at the 14, but Lakeside's defense stiffened.

Alan Marionneax stuffed Tevarius Mack behind the line. Then, an illegal participation penalty pushed the Spartans back into a hole. Later, Armstrong threw incomplete on fourth down.

"We knew our defense was good enough to stop them," Panthers senior lineman Joshua Dickerson said. "We just had to play hard."