After a month of giving the top teams in 3A almost all they could handle, the Powell High School football team suffered its worst loss of the season Friday at Green River, eliminating the Panthers from the playoffs for the second straight year.

The two teams entered the contest with identical 1-5 records, each needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Neither team broke any records on offense, but the Wolves were able to hit the big plays when it counted, downing the Panthers 28-6. Needing a win and a little help from Evanston to set up a play-in game against Jackson in this week’s regular season finale, the loss knocked Powell out of the playoff equation.

“As far as executing and playing, that game just wasn’t us,” said Panthers head coach Aaron Papich. “I know our team’s better than that, and we’re just going to focus this week on getting back on track.”

First half

The Panthers struggled to hold on to the ball throughout the game, fumbling four times and losing two fumbles to Green River. After a scoreless first quarter, the Wolves broke the tie with just under nine minutes left in the half, as running back James King scored on a third and goal. The PAT was good, giving Green River a 7-0 lead.

The Panthers fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive, giving Green River a first down in the red zone. A holding penalty took the Wolves back to the 21-yard line, but on third-and-18, Green River quarterback Dallan Serrano hit Anthony Johnson for a touchdown over the outstretched hands of defensive back Kanyon Gann. With the extra point, the Wolves led 14-0 with seven minutes left in the half.

“Green River was just a better team. They beat us,” Papich said. “They beat us at every part of the game, [and] they did a good job. Hats off to them. They did a better job.”

The Panthers’ next drive began at their own 34. A nice run by Kadden Abraham coupled with a facemask penalty by Green River put Powell into Wolves’ territory for the first time. But just as it seemed the Panthers had a little momentum, a fumble once again stopped a promising drive.

Green River then drove into Panther territory, but a Groves interception ended the threat, and the Panthers went into the half trailing by two scores. Powell managed just 64 yards in the first half, led by quarterback Ethan Asher picking up 18 yards on eight carries and completing three of nine passes for 21 yards. Papich said even though the Panthers were down by two scores, there wasn’t a time his squad thought they couldn’t come back.

“We’ve been down at halftime before,” Papich said. “The second half has always been the time of the game when we do better. No one was panicking, it was a deficit we made up before. But we just couldn’t do it this time.”

Second half

The Panthers kicked off to start the second half, and the defense continued to do its job, forcing a punt on the Wolves’ first possession. A nice punt return by Landon Lengfelder gave the Panthers good field position on their own 45-yard-line.

Trying to work out of a 14-0 hole, the Panthers drove into Green River territory, but a fumble stopped the drive in its tracks. The two teams would trade possessions without much to show for it for the remainder of the third quarter.

The Wolves added to their lead in the final seconds of the third, with Serrano scoring on a quarterback keeper. The point after made the score 21-0. Green River scored once more in the fourth, as Serrano hit Seth White for a 26-yard touchdown. The extra point made the score 28-0.

The Panthers were able to avoid the shutout, scoring a touchdown in the game’s final minute. With 35 seconds left, Asher found a double-covered Gann in the end zone, who fought for the ball and came down with it for the score. A missed extra point put the final at 28-6. The late score was a testament to the never-quit mentality the Panthers have played with all season, according to Papich, despite a miasma of missed opportunities.

“This whole season, it hasn’t been about the scoreboard,” Papich said, “That’s one thing I tell the kids is that I don’t care what the scoreboard says. When you walk off the field, have your head held high because you know you gave everything you had. Having pride and giving your all is something you have control over.”

The Panthers finished with 172 yards for the game, compared to 309 for Green River. Asher threw for 96 yards on eight for 25 passing and a touchdown. Asher was also Powell’s leading rusher, with 15 carries for 53 yards.

Defensively, Powell was led by Carson Olsen and Duy Hoang, who finished with 24 and 18 points, respectively. Groves and Abraham recorded 13 points apiece, while Adrian Geller finished with 12.

The Panthers will finish out the season Friday against Jackson, which beat Evanston 35-28 last week. The second-ranked Broncs are 7-1 on the season, and will provide Powell with its last opportunity to play the game they’re capable of.

“This is a new week, and I’m really optimistic about playing Jackson,” Papich said. “We’re just going to trust the process and do the things we know we can do, the things we’ve done all year. That’s what I expect, and that’s what I know they can do. We’ve shown we can compete with anybody in the state, and I expect our guys to come out and perform like I know they can.”