HENRY — The Putnam County Panthers will host the area sectional with trophy in hand after defeating the Marquette Academy Crusaders 50-39 Friday to win the Henry 1A Regional. The win was the 14th straight victory for the Panthers, and emotions were riding high.

The final regional final was everything a title game should be, with neither team getting more than a three-point advantage until the last minute and one-half of game time. With just two minutes of play left, the Crusaders gathered their last points with a two-pointer from Curtiss Johnson, but that would be all she wrote for Marquette’s scoring, as a late scoring drive by senior guard Xavier Warren and junior guard Harold Fay put the game away for the Panthers.

“It’s the greatest feeling in the world, honestly,” Warren said. “But there’s more to come.”