Defense and turnovers were the way of Friday night’s game in Green River, with the host Wolves managing to break through twice in a 14-0 win over Powell.

Neither team had much luck moving the ball in the early going on the cold and rainy night. The Panthers stuffed Green River’s first drive and then forced a fumble on their second possession.

Another drive for the Wolves was essentially squashed when Eli Briggs drilled quarterback Chance Hofer for a 10-yard sack.

Powell, however, gave the ball right back on a fumble at its own 25-yard line.

Four plays later, Hofer kept the ball, found an opening and raced 18 yards for the game’s opening score at the 11:01 mark of the second quarter.

The next Panther drive lasted three plays, with the third one being a pass the Wolves intercepted.

Taking over deep in Powell territory again, this time at the 33-yard line, Green River looked to march it in and got as far as the 4-yard line.

But the Panthers held them there, even knocking the Wolves back 4 yards. They then put on enough pressure that the ensuing 24-yard field goal attempt was missed, leaving the score at 7-0 into halftime.

Powell got the opening kick of the second half, but Green River’s defense wasn’t allowing much at all. The next six Panther plays netted just 2 yards before the team was forced to punt.

Starting from midfield, the Wolves picked up 35 yards on runs from Drew Wilson and Candon Croft, plus a personal foul flag on the Panthers.

But after a tackle for loss and two incomplete passes, Green River settled for another field goal attempt, this from 35 yards.

Though his running on the night was being stopped short, T.J. Abraham contributed on special teams on the play, racing in and blocking the kick to keep Powell within a touchdown.

However, Green River kept Abraham in check on Powell’s next drive, hodling him to 12 yards on four carries before forcing a fumble.

The Wolves then got some traction with a 23-yard run from Wilson, 8 yards on a Croft run and Wilson churning out 5 more yards to get the ball to the Panther 18.

A false start penalty knocked them back to the 23, but a screeen from Hofer to Wilson picked up 21 yards and got the ball to the 2.

Panther Max Gallagher made a key hit on Hofer for a 2-yard loss, but Wilson then took it in on a 4-yard run to make it the 14-0 game that would stand at the final buzzer.

Gallagher had a monster game on defense, with 27 total tackles, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss.

Abraham, along with the blocked field goal, tallied 17 tackles, with A.J. Lewis and Brekyn Herd adding 10 tackles each.

The offensive output was underwhelming, as Abraham was held to just 50 yards on 24 carries.

Quarterback Mason Olsen ran for 21 yards on eight carries, and was 4-for-16 passing for 37 yards.

“With the conditions and two good teams going at it like that, it comes down to turnovers and field position,” Powell head coach Chanler Buck told KPOW-AM after the game. “Unfortunately we were on the lesser end with those tonight. We’d get some momentum going, but couldn’t get the big play. We had an exceptional effort from our defense, it was a very physical battle and we came up with some turnovers ourselves.”

The schedule doesn’t get any easier, as the Panthers will host top-ranked Star Valley at 7 p.m. Friday.