Last Thursday, the Panthers brought down the Cy Falls Eagles in the first home game of the season. Not only was it the first home game, but it was also senior parent appreciation night.
Sophomore Antonio Dural recovered a fumble early on and the Panthers were setting themselves up for success.
“The recovery was very important,” Dural said. “It helped the offense put points on the board and capitalize on the opportunity.”
The Panthers’ defense started off strong, dominating the Eagles up front, forcing them to punt on their first drive of the game.
On the first offensive drive of the game, junior quarterback Chad Johnson wasted no time connecting with senior receiver Trey Robinson for a 65-yard touchdown.
Midway through the second quarter, senior safety Calvin Molegraaf punched the ball loose from the Eagles receiver, giving the Panthers the ball back in enemy territory.
“Everybody was turnt,” Molegraaf said. “It changed the momentum of the game.”
However, the Panthers were unable to capitalize, and on their next possession, the Cy Falls drove down the field, tying the game 7-7.
The offense quickly responded, with sophomore running back Micah Rhodes leaping into the endzone to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
“Two minute drill is very important to us, especially during practice,” Rhodes said. “To go out there and score right before the half is a big reason why we won the game.”
After another stop from the defense, the Panthers’ offensive line overpowered the Eagles, leading to Rhodes scoring his second touchdown of the game, giving the Panthers a 21-7 lead.
Getting the ball back early in the fourth quarter, kicker Zachary Morgan sent a 32-yard field goal perfectly through the uprights, extending the lead to 24-7.
“I was locked in,” Morgan said. “It’s what I do.”
The Eagles weren’t done yet, scoring 14 unanswered points late in the fourth quarter.
After punting the ball back to the Eagles offense with time running out, the Panthers needed a stop to win the game.
On fourth-and-13 with the crowd on its feet, junior linebacker Zack Ruysenaars tackled the Cy Falls receiver short of the first down, sealing the 24-21 victory for the Panthers.
“It was a really big stop for us,” Ruysenaars said. “We had to have it.”
