WORLAND — Powell High School’s football team gained more than a win Friday.

The Panthers earned a guarantee.

After collecting its first shutout of the season with a 31-0 rout of host and 3A West Conference foe Worland, PHS will see its season extend at the very least to Halloween night, the opening round of the Class 3A state playoffs.

“It was a big deal to get that playoff game tonight,” senior lineman Riley Stringer said. “We’re definitely a playoff-type team ... I don’t think anyone ever doubted us making the playoffs, but now we just have to go and fight for a good seed.”

For better playoff positioning, the Panthers (5-1, 3-0) will likely need to knock off Jackson Hole (5-1, 2-1 after Friday’s loss to Cody) this week and Cody (5-1, 3-0) to end its regular slate. Both contests will be played at Panther Stadium.

Against Worland however, PHS didn’t appear to miss home very much.

After the Panther defense forced Worland (2-4, 0-3) into a 3-and-out on its first possession, the PHS offense wasted no time finding the scoreboard.

Starting at their own 48-yard line, PHS marched 31 yards to the Warrior 21. During the series, senior halfback Ryan Ferro kept the drive alive with a 12-yard run on third down at the WHS 37, and four plays later, the increasingly dangerous Luccho Maurizi connected on a 38-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

“Luccho made a crucial field goal for our offense,” PHS senior quarterback Carter Baxter said. “We were stopped on third down deep in Worland territory and he made sure we didn’t come up empty-handed.”

The Panthers weren’t as lucky on their next possession, gained after recovering a Warriors’ fumble on the ensuing PHS kickoff. PHS started the drive at the Worland 35 and moved to the 23, but on third down, Baxter was sacked and then couldn’t find his receiver on fourth down. But when the Panther defense forced a turnover on downs in Warrior territory, Baxter wouldn’t be denied.

“It’s all about opportunities, and Kalei continues to make the most of them,” Baxter said. “I throw it up and he makes plays.”

Baxter was referring to senior wide receiver Kalei Smith, who on PHS’ first play of its next series caught another deep pass from his QB and raced 47 yards for a score as the first quarter came to a close. Baxter and Smith have hooked up for five touchdowns this season. On Friday, Smith finished with 142 yards on seven receptions.

“He’s always going to be a threat,” Baxter said of Smith.

After the Panthers pushed the lead to 10, the two teams exchanged punts until a PHS drive was ended at the Worland 24 by the halftime horn.

When the PHS offense returned to the field to open the third period, it regained its earlier form. Starting near midfield, Ferro gained a yard before sophomore tailback TJ Abraham picked up a first down with a 10-yard burst, continuing his knack for opportunistic playmaking.

Back-to-back penalties by the Warriors pushed PHS further downfield, and after senior Ty Herd picked up 6 yards with his feet on second down, Baxter finished the drive with a 20-yard run that ended with a dive into the end zone.

Maurizi, who continued his PAT perfection with four on the night, added the extra point to make it 17-0.

Herd, who has continued to gain steam in the running game week to week, carried the ball 10 times for a team-high 43 yards. He also took a Baxter pass 20 yards for a score to end his team’s next offensive possession with a 24-0 lead, and finished the scoring in the fourth with a 37-yard run around the left end.

“Mostly it was the offensive line making big holes for me,” Herd said of his performance. “There were a couple times when I was stopped behind the line due to a missed blocking assignment, but I knew the line would come back and get me a good block, and they did.

“I’ve been waiting for a game like this all season. It really doesn’t matter to me who scores the touchdowns, but it definitely feels good to get in the end zone.”

For the game, PHS gained 121 yards on the ground. Baxter finished 9-of-17 passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Herd caught two passes for 37 yards. The Panthers out-gained Worland 300-148, and also won the turnover battle 3-0.

In the fourth quarter, Jacob Gallagher recovered a Warrior fumble at the Panther 15 to end Worland’s best drive of the game, and Jeron Smith picked off Warriors quarterback Steele Ware to end the Warriors’ next series with 7:08 remaining.

PHS interim head coach Chanler Buck praised his defense after it refused to break under Worland’s relentless wedge offense.

Five Warriors carried the ball, and at times, aside from what could only be described as a moving blob of Warriors, the football was hard to find as it blended in with the home team’s bright orange jerseys. Still, the Panthers stood tall.

“They just grind, grind, grind and I get it, that’s the offense that they run,” Buck said of the Worland scheme. “It’s monotonous, but then they can break a big [play]. Tonight they didn’t, so I’m very, very proud of our boys for just continuing to stay disciplined and physical and consistent throughout the night.”

Following the shutout, PHS has out-scored its opponents 89-17 during a three-game winning streak. But Buck was quick to acknowledge the challenges awaiting the Panthers over the next two weeks.

“We’re going to learn a lot about who we are over the final two weeks of the season,” Buck said. “It feels good to go on the road and get a big win like this, especially clinching the playoffs in the process, and I want our kids to celebrate this one and enjoy it. But we have two huge tests before the playoffs begin, and we’re going to have to take these next couple of weeks of practice seriously and come back out prepared to play.”