It was Homecoming night on Friday, andthe CCHS Panthers are now 3-3 on the season. The boyssure know how to get the adrenalin flowing in a football game. If you were there Friday night, you know what I mean. With bad weather looming, the Panthers took the field against the Raiders of Roane County. The game went well for the Panthers in the first half with Zach Ahart notching two touchdowns in his pistol grip, running one in on a long punt return and one from the line of scrimmage deep in Panther territory. They didn’t get the extra point on the first but hammered in an extra two on the next one going up on the Raiders 14-7. The defense, well, what can you say? They are tough and get the job done as long as they are offered the opportunity. The Raiders came back with another TD and the game was all even with both teams notching two touchdowns each. Then, with the Panther defense holding the Raiders to a third down and long situation, a pass interference call against the Panthers gave the Raiders a first down deep behind Panther lines. It was one of those calls that tend to shift momentum in a game, especially when it leads to a TD. There are things that constitute pass interference, and it must be kept in mind that both players, when a pass is in the air, have rights to it. One condition is the defender has to initiate contact with the offensive player that materially affects his ability to catch the pass, the other is that the ball has to be catchable. That being said, it changed the momentum of the game. At the end of the first half,both teams go in the house with the Raiders on top 20 to 14 with plenty of football left to play. At the beginning of the second half, it was plain to see that something changed – call it tactics, call it whatever, but the Panthers couldn’t seem to get the same head of steam that they had in the first half. Moving the ball was like pushing a chain. The boys still played a tough game and was pounding the ball for every inch of real estate they could get. The Raiders knew they were in a game that would be a battle, and it was. Unfortunately, the Panther defense had a tough time stopping the run and the Raiders racked up 21 more points in the second half. It was a tough game to lose after fighting so hard on a rain soaked field to win. It is sometimes hard to take, and the blame can go towards the refs, the rain, the mud or any other reason, but the boys put on their helmets, went onto the field and played their guts out as they were held on the ground, stepped on, face masked, but after all, “that’s football,” they say. However, there is no picture or video that will change the game, so we suck it up and move on to the next challenge. That challenge comes next week when the Panthers take their game on the road to Sissonville. It will be a great game, and the Panthers will be ready to squash the Indians. As they used to say in the old days, “Come on boys. There is football to be played and somebody to beat.” Go Panthers!
