The Whitharral Panthers football team dominated the Klondike Cougars, 64-20, Friday in Lubbock during the area round of playoffs.
For Panther Head Coach Jeremy Holt, his squad came into the game ready to get revenge from last year’s meeting against Klondike that resulted in a loss.
“I think we had a lot of remnant feelings from last year and we just came out very emotional,” said Holt. “Because of those strong feelings, I think that was the reason for the slow start. Once we settled into our game, we grew very confident in the game plan that we had, and the kids went out and they executed. I am very proud of our guys.”
A powerhouse of a football team during the regular season, the energy and enthusiasm was there from the crowd in the freezing temperatures as well as the Panther team.
However, that slow start allowed the Cougars to take the first quarter from Whitharral, 12-8.
The Panthers put together their lone scoring drive in the first with 44 seconds left. Whitharrals Jeryn Ellerd connected with Jaden Smith on a 10-yard pass for a touchdown.
Panther kicker, Jack Griffin was able to kick the ball through the uprights to trail 12-8.
By the middle of the second quarter, Whitharral was able to get the ball rolling offensively while forcing the Cougars to give up the ball.
Victor Saenz took the ball down the field for 63-yard touchdown with 7:17 left in the second quarter. Missing the kick, Whitharral was able to take the lead, 14-12.
Around the three-minute mark, Shamadrick Weaver found the endzone on an 11-yard scamper. The kick by Griffin was successful, moving the score to 22-11.
Before heading into halftime, the Panthers added a few more points on the board after Weaver found Griffin open down field for a five-yard touchdown pass. The kick by Griffin was good, moving to the score to 30-12 heading into halftime.
Allowing only eight points in the second half, the Panther defense made quick worked of the Cougar offense.
Whitharral added three scores in the third quarter to push the lead to 44-20.
Keeping the ball heading into the fourth quarter, Whitharral put points on the board with the first play on a two-yard touchdown run by Brent Robinson.
Leading 50-12, Ellerd completed a seven-yard pass to Ryan McDaniel for a touchdown, pushing the score to 56-20.
To round out the scoring efforts of the Panthers, Kaden Smith broke loose for a 36-yard touchdown. The kick by Griffin was good allowing Whitharral to get to 64-20.
For the Panther offensive attack, Ellerd finished the game with 63 yards passing and two touchdowns. Weaver had 49 yards through the air with two touchdowns while also having 128 yards on the ground with one touchdown.
Saenz finished the game with 114 yards and two touchdowns while Smith also had 65 yards on the ground with one touchdown.
Cason Wischkaemper had 44 yards receiving and one touchdown, Ryan McDaniel has 35 yards receiving and one touchdown and Smith had 15 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, Nomar Gomez led the Panthers with nine and a half tackls while Wischkaemper had eight. Saenz totaled seven and a half tackles while Griffin had five and a half.
The Panther will be taking on the Balmorrhea Bears in Hermleigh, Friday at 6 p.m. in the regional finals.
Using the holiday week to prepare his team for the next round in playoffs, Coach Holt is tasked with finding the happy medium between energy and execution.
“I’ve got to figure out how we can come out fired up but we’re emotionally stable and not on that high adrenaline rush where we are out of control,” explained Coach Holt.
“That’s the main thing we’ve got to fix is make sure we come out and we execute perfectly and soundly. Belamarrhea is a great team and very well coached. Coach Vance Jones has been around forever, and I know he’ll have his guys ready, and we can’t afford to have those mistakes early in the next week.”