Fourth quarter pushes Panthers past Lander

Posted 11/3/20

Time was running out for the Panthers. Trailing 7-0 with just over a quarter remaining in Friday’s quarterfinal game against Lander Valley, the Powell High School football team needed a spark …

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Fourth quarter pushes Panthers past Lander

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Time was running out for the Panthers. Trailing 7-0 with just over a quarter remaining in Friday’s quarterfinal game against Lander Valley, the Powell High School football team needed a spark to avoid going home early.

“It was just a realization that the season was coming to an end,” PHS head coach Chase Kistler said. “I told them if things didn’t change, the season’s done.”

Sure enough, things changed shortly after the pep talk. With the Tigers near midfield, the Panthers forced a game-changing turnover, with Karson Lamb recovering a fumble in enemy territory.

“That sparked us,” Kistler said.

After that, Powell’s offense found a groove for the first time since the opening drive. Junior fullback Toran Graham trucked his way into the end zone on a 23-yard short reception, followed by a Kadden Abraham run on a successful two-point conversion attempt. That gave PHS an 8-7 lead with 11 minutes left.

With under a quarter remaining and a one-point advantage, it was up to the defense to step up — and it did.

PHS notched another takeaway, this time a Sheldon Shoopman fumble recovery. This led to another seven points for the Panthers, with Kadden Abraham capping off a three-play, 21-yard drive with a rushing touchdown.

Down eight, the Tigers had another chance to claw back in and send it to overtime, but Powell’s defense stood tall. PHS stopped Lander Valley on fourth and 15, sealing the Panthers’ quarterfinal win.

Despite being such a close game, Kistler preached staying calm to his defensive players on their final stand.

“You get one stop and this game’s over,” Kistler said. “I told them to be conservative, don’t give up a big play. You don’t have to go into panic mode.”

Though the Panthers survived and advanced, the first 36 minutes were a completely different ballgame.

PHS posted just 77 offensive yards in the first half and only made it to Lander’s side of the field once (the opening drive). The unit’s efficiency improved greatly in the fourth quarter, but Kistler thinks some of the first-half struggles can be traced to all-around sloppiness.

“We were getting our fumbles back, but you still lose a down and go backward,” Kistler said. “It kind of throws a kink in the game plan. But in the fourth, it was straight run, load the box and try to be more physical.”

In addition to fumbles and turnovers, penalties were costly early on. The Panthers committed eight penalties for 59 yards, a few of which were personal fouls.

While Kistler’s squad did enough in the final 12 minutes to advance on Friday, he plans to work on the team’s discipline in the days leading up to Powell’s semifinal matchup against Cody.

“We need to stay controlled and disciplined,” Kistler said. “Both teams are looking at, you win, you move on, so the emotions are a little bit higher. Frustrations were there, and you’re dealing with high school boys, so we need to work on it.”

Individually, Graham was one of the standouts on both sides of the ball. He led the team with 41 rushing yards, in addition to his 23-yard touchdown catch, while also adding several tackles.

Other players Kistler noticed as contributors on both offense and defense were Shoopman and Abraham.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Panthers did what they needed to do: win. However, it only gets harder from here.

PHS will travel across Park County on Friday for a semifinal duel against Cody. The Broncs defeated Powell 14-0 earlier this year on the Panthers’ homecoming night.

Before the grudge match, Kistler hopes his team can be more prepared to compete in postseason football.

“It’s a different level and speed in the playoffs,” the coach said. “We need to learn how to play at that level and get used to it so it’s not a shock.”

   

Limited number of tickets available for Friday game

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, only 1,000 spectators will be allowed at Friday night’s Cody-Powell semifinal football game, so Panther fans wanting to attend may have to plan ahead.

Per Wyoming High School Activities Association expectations, Powell High School has been given 400 tickets (40% of the total) to sell. Tickets — $3 for students and $5 for adults — went on sale Monday morning, with students and athletes getting first dibs. It’s possible that no tickets will be made available to the general public.

Parents and athletes of the varsity football team are being allowed to purchase up to five tickets per varsity athlete (250 of the allotted tickets), with PHS cheerleaders able to purchase up to two tickets per member (22 of the allotted tickets). Then, PHS students and faculty members will be able to purchase up to two tickets per person until sold out (128 tickets will be available).

Finally, any unsold tickets will be sold to the general public on Wednesday on a first-come, first served-basis from the PHS office (1151 E. Seventh St.). Any tickets that remain unsold on Thursday morning will be returned to Cody for general sales.

“We encourage you all to send money with your student/athlete to avoid folks coming into the school,” the PHS team said in a Facebook post. “Adults who do not have student/athlete access may come to the high school office to purchase tickets.”

A radio broadcast of Friday’s Panther-Bronc showdown will be available on KPOW, 1260 AM, along with a video livestream available through the NFHS Network, for either $11 for a month or $70 for a year.

Powell High School, Panther Football

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