Panthers clinch share of SCC title with 68-21 win over Comets
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
PANA — Max Lynch, number 6, attempts a pass during the Pana Panthers-Greenville Comets football game on Friday night at Brummett Field. Pana chalked up their seventh win of the season, 68-21, to remain unbeaten. Lynch threw for one touchdown and ran for four more as the junior signal caller had 378 total yards in offense. He had 13 carries for 206 yards and was 11-of- 21 in passing for 130 yards.
Tom Latonis/Breeze-Courier Photo
Tom Latonis
Breeze-Courier Writer
PANA — The Pana Panthers football team piled up 533 yards in total offense and went on to roll the visiting Greenville Comets at Brummett Field, 68- 21, Friday night. Pana, ranked sixth in the state in Class 2A football, have clinched at least a share of the South Central Conference championship as they go to 7-0 on the season.
More than half of those yards came from the arm and legs of junior quarterback, Max Lynch. While the 5-11, 160- pound signal caller played a career game Friday night, he was quick to credit his team- mates for their performances.
“Austin (Henschen), Brenden (Schoonover), Kyle (Kuhn), Hayden (Stark), all of our receivers, pretty much the whole offense was involved in this win,” Lynch said.
Lynch rushed for 206 yards on 13 carries (almost 16 yards per carry) and completed 11- 0f-21 pass attempts, good for 172 yards.
“He’s a great kid and that’s what’s awesome about him,” Trevor Higgins, Pana’s head football coach said after the game. “He’s not prideful. He’s a very humble kid, very coach- able. Each week he just con- tinues to amaze me. The reads that he’s making and the abili- ty to make people miss and make plays happen.”
While the margin of victory was 47 points, both agreed the Comets were no ordinary team.
Tough 4-2 Greenville team. We knew they were going to be prepared,” Higgins said. “They came out and gave us the hardest game we’ve had so far. I thought our offense executed very well. Our defense let some big plays happen. We haven’t
done that before, so that’s something we have to work on. Just really proud of our guys in their execution.”
“It definitely was a tough game,” said Lynch in agree- ment. “Our offense played great. I think everyone had a career night.”
Pana scored on their first possession of the game, a very efficient 5-play, 77-yard drive. From 12 yards out, Lynch uti- lized a shovel pass to Austin Henschen for the score. Bo Christer added the extra point for a 7-0 lead at the 8:33 mark of the first frame.
Not to be outdone, the Comets put together an 11- play drive – converting a pair of third downs as they traveled 73 yards for a touchdown.
Junior Grant Wilderman plowed his way in from 2 yards out for the score with 4:39 showing in the first. Wilderman was the Comets’ workhorse in the backfield as he gained 130 yards on 19 car- ries. The extra point kick was blocked and Pana had a 7-6 lead.
Late in the first quarter, Pana pulled out the halfback pass from the playbook as L ynch threw to Brenden Schoonover who heaved the ball down the field to a streak- ing Kyle Kuhn who was all alone in the flat for a 46-yard score. Christer’s extra point gave Pana a 14-6 lead with 1:36 left in the opening period.
Pana scored a total of 28 unanswered points and had a 34-6 lead before the Comets got on the board again with 1:18 left in the first half. They added a 2-point conversion and it was Pana on top, 35-14 at the break.
The fans were barely back in their seats after halftime as Pana needed just 31 seconds to add to their lead. Henschen got the call for the score, a 5- yard run up the middle to make it 41-14 with 11:27 left in the third. The 5-11, 170- pound running back set the table for Pana as he went around left end for 15 yards, taking it down to the 5. He fin- ished the game with 6 carries and 44 yards.
After a Greenville score with under 3 minutes to play in the third to make it a 54-21 game, the Panthers found the end zone again on the last play of the period, a 43-yard jaunt by Lynch. That made it 61-21 with Christer’s extra point kick and the fourth quarter was played with a running clock.
Pana’s final score came with 4:14 left in the game as quarter- back Carter Hocq scampered 53 yards down the far sideline for a touchdown. Christer’s extra point kick made it 68-21, the final.
The Panthers have two road games remaining. One with non- conference foe Nokomis, who beat Gillespie 35-12 Friday night, and the other, at Carlinville on Oct. 22, in SCC play. As of this week, Carlinville and Vandalia each have a conference loss. A win at Carlinville would give Pana the undisputed title.