A quick start by the visitors led to a disappointing loss to open the conference season for the Powell Panther football team, dropping a contest to the rival Cody Broncs 55-14 at home Friday.

CODY 55, POWELL 14

Opening up conference play against their longtime Park County rivals, the Panthers (3-2 overall, 0-1 3A West) were hoping to slow down the high scoring Broncs (4-0 overall, 1-0 3A West).

Cody got off to a fast start.

The Broncs ran the ball up the middle on the second play from scrimmage, sprinting past the Panther defense for a 48-yard touchdown.

Powell struggled to move the ball early and Cody took advantage, scoring again in the first quarter, this time on a 1-yard run with 6:44 left to make it 14-0.

The Panthers got better field position after their first stop, when a poor punt gave Powell the ball at the 45-yard line.

A punt followed that possession, but then a big return by Jordan Loera gave the Panthers the ball in Cody territory for the first time.

Powell carried that drive into the end of the first quarter, but disaster struck to start the second.

A Panther fumble at the 9-yard line was returned for a touchdown by Cody, making it 21-0 early in the second.

“Starting the game when you have five or six penalties, it’s hard to battle through those, and yet we found ourselves in scoring opportunities at multiple times that could have shifted the tides,” coach Chase Kistler said. “That fumble, you could see the change in our guys after that. It hurt, there’s no other way to put it. Thinking that you’re going to come away with points and you’re another touchdown down after that. It’s tough to overcome.”

Cody’s next score came through the air, on a 10-yard pass to make it 28-0.

Powell got on the board after finding some success of its own through the air, when Keona Wisniewski found Alex Jordan who raced his way for a 42-yard score and made it 28-7.

The Broncs again scored through the air, this time on a 40-yard pass to make it 35-7 with 3:36 left.

“They are explosive and they’ll hit you from all different areas. Special teams and then big plays on offense and big plays on defense,” Kistler said. “If you give them points by turning over the ball like we did, it’s just hard. Up front, their running game is like a juggernaut, and then if you’re helping out and giving them points too, you’re just crawling into a hole that you can’t get out.”

Powell went for it on fourth and 8 on its next drive, but an interception gave Cody one more possession with 1:30 left in the half.

Cody originally scored with 32 seconds left, but an illegal shift called the play back.

On the next play, the Broncs scored on a 34-yard touchdown to make it 41-7 going into the half after a failed extra point.

The third quarter saw three separate turnovers on downs, as neither team found the end zone and it remained 41-7.

Cody scored on the first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter, this time on a 34-yard run to make it 48-7.

Powell continued to battle to the end, as Lincoln Crawford scored on a 4-yard run for the Panthers with 41 seconds left to make it 48-14.

Unfortunately for Powell, the Broncs returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards to finish the contest 55-14.

Crawford led on the ground with 56 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown just ahead of Trevon Abraham with nine carries for 43 yards.

Wisniewski led through the air, going 9-22 for 159 yards for a touchdown and an interception.

Jordan led in receiving with 77 yards on three receptions and a touchdown.

Wisniewski led Powell with 13 tackles, four solo, while Powell had four different players with a pass breakup.

Cody finished with a 452-303 yard advantage offensively in the contest.

“There’s some positives out of that game. I’m not going to say it’s a whole lot, but we threw the ball well,” Kistler said. “We were limited on guys, guys kept going out, getting hurt, and it was kind of limiting what we were wanting to run up front. But guys stepped up and filled spots that we hadn’t even practiced with them that week.”

HOMECOMING GAME

Things do not get easier for the Panthers this week, as they will stay at home to take on the two time defending state champion Star Valley Braves (5-0 overall, 1-0 3A West).

“I mean they’re the number one team for a reason,” Kistler said. “They’re big across the board. Up front they’re really well coached and we know exactly what’s coming at us.”

The homecoming game is scheduled for a Friday 5 p.m. kickoff at Panther Stadium.

CODY 55, POWELL 14

Total tackles then solo tackles in ()

Passing — Keona Wisniewski 9-22, 159 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

Rushing — Lincoln Crawford 17-56, 1 touchdown; Trevon Abraham 9-43; Keona Wisniewski 9-24; McKale Foley 2-11, Tyler Wenzel 2-11

Receiving — Alex Jordan 3-77, 1 touchdown; Jordan Loera 1-25; Brady Harvey 1-17; Dawson Griffin 1-14; Lincoln Crawford 1-11; Trevon Abraham 1-10; McKale Foley 1-5

Tackles — Keona Wisniewski 13 (4), Trevon Abraham 9 (2), Dawson Griffin 8 (6), Jordan Loera 5 (2), McKale Foley 4 (1), Dusty Carter 4 (1), Alex Jordan 4 (1), Tyler Wenzel 4 (2), Jacob Eaton 3 (1), Caleb Ashcraft (1), Alan Crawford 2 (1), Broc Frank 2 (1), Tim Hosein 1 (1), Lincoln Crawford 1 (1), Tucker Oliver 1 (1), Karcher Foley 1

Pass breakups — McKale Foley 1, Jordan Loera 1, Lincoln Crawford 1, Alex Jordan 1