A long weekend featured the Powell Panther boys’ soccer team battling against 3A competition at the Pinnacle Cup in Worland. Powell lost to host Worland in the quarter finals 3-1, rebounding to defeat Pinedale 6-2 and Douglas 3-0 in the consolation rounds before losing to Newcastle 4-2 in the consolation final to finish the weekend 2-2.

WORLAND 3, POWELL 1

Against the Warriors (4-1), the Panthers (3-2) fell behind 10 minutes into the first half and trailed by that same margin going into the half.

The Warrior lead grew in the second half after a penalty kick found the back of the net seven minutes in.

Chance Franks got one back on the board midway through the half for the Panthers, before the Warriors pulled away with 11 minutes left for the 3-1 scoreline.

“It was good to get a look at their team and see who their scoring threats were and where they were vulnerable,” coach David Gilliatt said. “We also knew they would man-mark Chance and had a couple guesses on who they might use. While we didn’t get the result we wanted, it was still a valuable experience.”

POWELL 6, PINEDALE 2

Dropping down to the consolation bracket the Panthers matched up with Pinedale (1-5) for the second weekend in a row.

The Wranglers came out early with a 1-0 lead, before Powell took control of the contest.

“They caught us a little flat early on and got that goal from a free kick,” Gilliatt said. “I think our keeper would like to have a do-over on that one but it created a good learning experience for him and he’ll be more prepared for the next time. No credit taken from the Pinedale player as it was a good free kick.”

Just like the weekend before, the Panthers ended up running away with the contest after equalizing.

Franks ended up finishing with a hat trick in the contest, along with Ethan Frame, Jude Tillotson and Parker Williams each scoring one to help Powell storm past Pinedale 6-2.

“I think that woke us up and we started playing with a little more intensity after that,” Gilliatt said. “I was glad to see multiple players get some goals for that game.”

POWELL 3, DOUGLAS 0

Heading into Saturday, the Panthers matched up against the Bearcats (1-2), the team that upset Powell a year ago at the state tournament.

Franks got Powell on the board less than four minutes into the game, and Williams added another to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead at the half.

In the second half Franks added another, giving Powell a convincing 3-0 win.

“The Douglas game was a good one as they had some skilled midfield players who tested us when they were in possession,” Gilliatt said. “It was an early morning for us and we had just finished playing two games in the last 24 hours already so mentally we were already playing a little tired. But I was proud of our guys as we worked together to defend and create scoring opportunities, and we were able to get the shutout.”

NEWCASTLE 4, POWELL 2

Advancing to the consolation championship and the fourth game in less than 24 hours the Panthers matched up with the Dogies (3-1).

In a difficult match for the Panthers, they fell behind by a scoreline of 4-0 early in the second half, before two late goals by Franks down the stretch tightened the scoreline to a 4-2 final.

“Fatigue was definitely a factor for the Newcastle game. Four games in 24 hours is kind of insane,” Gilliatt said. “However, I think we need to be able to mentally play through that if we expect to compete at the state tournament in May. That was the best Newcastle team we’ve faced since I’ve coached at Powell, but I was disappointed with the result and hope to play them again with fresher legs and more experience under our belts. Credit to Newcastle for outplaying us and getting the win.”

SMALL BREAK

Powell will now take some time to rest its legs and train before its next match in a weeks’ time.

That match will come against rival Cody (1-1), which was idle this past weekend.

The Panthers and Broncs are both 1-0 in conference play, and the contest will be Powell’s home opener at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2.

“I think we could benefit from getting more organized in our attack and really leveraging all of our scoring options. I think we could also stand to be a little fitter so we’ll continue to work on those two things,” Gilliatt said. “I’m looking forward to playing on our home field again.”