Uncharacteristic turnovers, penalties dooms Pana, 20-6
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(PANA) — A Greenville defender has Pana quarterback Wyatt Kile in his grasp during the homecoming contest between the Panthers and the Comets. Greenville stayed unbeaten with a convincing 20-6 win over Pana at Brummett Field as the Panthers fall to 4-1 on the season.
Denise Jones Photo
Tom Latonis
Breeze-Courier Writer
(PANA) — Uncharacteristic is defined as: “Not typical of a particular person or thing.” With four uncharacteristic first half turnovers and eight uncharacteristic penalties in the game for the Pana Panthers, a dream of a homecoming win became a nightmare as the visiting Greenville Comets upended the home team, 20-6 on Friday night at Brummett Field. With the win, the Comets move to 5-0 and own first place in the South Central Conference.
“Man, frustrating game,” summed ting up for Pana High School Head Football Coach Trevor Higgins. “You come out in the first half and give away three fumbles and a pick on drives that I felt like in the first half, we were really driving. And second half, I think we came out a little flat, honestly.”
Pana’s first turnover came on the Panthers’ first possession of the game. After a poor Greenville punt, Pana had the ball at the Greenville 45 and put together a 6-play drive to get them down to the 7, when on third down, the ball popped out of Sam Sims’ hand and the Comets recovered with 7:53 showing in the first.
But, a few minutes later, Sims redeemed himself with an interception on Greenville’s ensuing drive. The Comets had gone from their own 10 and were at the Pana 23 with a first down when the 6-foot, 165-pound junior stepped in front of a pass from Greenville’s Ben Hutchinson at the 19 and ran it 81 yards for the touchdown. The extra point kick was no good, but Pana had a 6-0 lead with 5:10 to go in the first. It was the only score of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, after a four-and-out on Greenville’s next possession, the Panthers put together a nice drive going from their own 21 on an 8 play drive, only to have quarterback Wyatt Kile throw an interception. It was only the second interception of the season for Kile.
The Comets did noting with the turnover and Pana got the ball back, only to lose it on a fumble by junior Isaiah Harbert at the Greenville 45. Once again, Greenville was stymied by the Pana defense and had another four-and-out.
After Pana was stopped on another drive, Greenville had a short field to work with, starting at the Pana 44. They put together a 9-play drive and Hutchinson found receiver Eli Shadowens in the back of the end zone for the score with 5:03 to play in the half. Their extra point attempt was blocked, and the game was knotted at 6-6.
Pana’s next drive lasted just one play after the kick-off as Kile scrambled and fumbled and the Comets pounced on the ball at the Pana 39. After a personal foul called on the Panthers on Greenville first play from scrimmage on a halfback pass attempt which put the ball at the 23. From there, Dayton Oliver took the hand-off, shaking off tacklers on his way to pay dirt and a 12-6 Greenville lead with 4:39 to play in the half. The extra point kick was good, and a halftime, Pana trailed, 13-6.
Following a lackluster third quarter, the Comets sealed the game in the final stanza with a 14-play, 62-yard drive that saw Oliver bull his way in from a yard out at the 8:25 mark of the fourth. The extra point was good and Greenville had itself a 20-6 victory in hand.
Pana had just one more possession in the quarter and it was a four-and-out. The Comets milked the clock and the ball the rest of 6:47 left in the game.
“Haven’t seen a front that big as Greenville’s and we knew that and we worked on it all week, trying to stalemate them, but they’re a good team ,” said Coach Higgins. “They are 5-0 for a good reason.”
Pana accumulated just 154 total yards in offense. Sims was Pana’s leading rusher with 39 yards on 5 carries and Harbert picked up 34 yards on a dozen tries. In passing, Kile threw for 82 yards, going 11-of-19 with an interception.
On the other side of the ball, Greenville rolled up 301 yards in total offense with Olive rushing for 109 yards on 26 carries. Hutchinson threw for 176 yards, completing 23-of-43.
Pana was flagged 8 times for 55 yards and Greenville, 5 times for 35 yards.
The Panthers fall to 4-1 on the season and will take to the road to face Hillsboro. The Hiltoppers fell to the Litchfield Purple Panthers on Friday night, 9-7.
