Friday was opening night for the Panther football team on the road against Midland Trail. Last season the Panthers took a beating by the Patriots, but this year the Panthers were primed and ready with some sweet revenge. It was a perfect night for football. The Panthers relied heavily on the run in the first half as Brody Scarbro and Blake Coleman were lighting up the field. Scarbro was a tank; most of the time it took at least three Patriots to bring him down, while Coleman simply lit the afterburners and set the field on fire. The run gave the Panthers great opportunities, but the referee called a few of the big plays back and made it tough to advance. The usual air show by the Panthers was held in reserve as Joel Elliott was covered pretty well giving younger brother Collin Elliott an opportunity to shine as a receiver. In the first half, both teams seemed to be working out some bugs while getting in some good offense and defensive plays. Midland Trail struggled to find a way to advance after losing quite a few seniors from last season. They just couldn’t figure out the Panther defense. At the end of the first half the score stood at Panthers 12, Patriots 6.
After the halftime festivities, the Panthers opened the book and got into the art of football. The first half was dominated by the run, but in the third quarter the gloves were off. The Panthers’ defense just wore down the Patriot offense. On defense, the Panthers gave them one TD in the first half but adjusted well at the break and forced multiple three and out downs, and the offense capitalized on the great field position. The second half for the Panthers saw more short passes and plenty of runs that added to the offense and kept the Patriots guessing. By the time Midland Trail added another TD to the scoreboard, the Panthers were well on the way to a win. The Panthers turned a tight halftime 12-6 first half into a defensive game, outscoring the Patriots in the 2nd half 29-7. The final score was Panthers 41, Patriots 13. This is a good start to the season, and the Panthers will be at home this week against Poca, who did some thumping of their own in their first game. It will be a barn burner if the Panthers can keep the momentum alive. After the Midland Trail game, the schedule will get heavy for the Panthers, but it looks like it will be a good season for them. Come out and support our youth, they deserve it. While we eat nachos, they smash heads. Go Panthers!
