Mistakes by both teams led to a back and forth battle between the Powell and Douglas in Friday night’s football playoff game. However, the Panthers made the game’s final mistake, losing the quarterfinal matchup 14-10 and ending their season.

The Panthers (6-4 overall, 2-3 3A West) went into the contest against Douglas (8-1 overall, 5-0 3A East) with thoughts of an upset as they attempted to defeat the Bearcats for the second time this season.

Both teams began the game with big mistakes and missed opportunities that allowed the contest to remain scoreless through the first quarter.

On their first drive, the Panthers moved the ball effectively until they faced a fourth and 1 in Douglas territory and decided to go for it. The Panthers handed it off to fullback Toran Graham, who was stopped in the backfield, leading to a turnover on downs.

Douglas then moved the ball deep into Panther territory, knocking on the door for the first points of the game. However, while the Bearcats’ field goal attempt from 36 yards out had the distance, it sailed wide left, giving the ball back to the Panthers on their 20 yard line.

Another mistake followed on PHS’s next play.

Sophomore quarterback Jhett Schwahn dropped back for a play-action pass, and threw across the middle of the field to Sam Whitlock on a crossing route, but the Bearcats wrestled the ball away for an interception. Douglas took over at the Panther 30-yard line. However, penalties mixed with incompletions forced the Bearcats into a three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Panthers deep in their own territory.

However, Powell wound up punting the ball back and a good return put Douglas in position. The Bearcats found the end zone on a 15-yard toss from Jackson Hughes to Keltan Ewing, who ran the ball in to give Douglas a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes left in the second quarter.

On their next drive, the Panthers finally strung together runs for a drive that lasted more than seven minutes, pressing into Bearcat territory for the first time since the opening drive.

However, PHS suffered a blow when Graham was hit in mid-air and spun around on a play up the middle; he landed awkwardly on his knee.

Head coach Chase Kistler and the rest of the staff determined that Graham would be able to continue to play on defense. But, the injury ruled out a return to the fullback position for the game, given the amount of cutting and planting needed in the role.

“When we lost Toran on offense that made the challenge that much greater,” Kistler said. “When we lost him the whole part of the game plan involving blasts and leads was changed due to personnel.”

After the Panthers turned the ball over on a fourth-and-17 near midfield, the Bearcats used big plays to get the ball downfield in three minutes to score a second touchdown off a Jackson Hughes run. That put Douglas up 14-0 with less than a minute remaining in the half.

In their final possession of the half, the Panthers decided to focus more on the passing attack and were able to make progress. Schwahn led the Panthers on a quick drive downfield, aided by a penalty on the last play of the half that put the Panthers inside the 5-yard line. That allowed Powell to get a 20-yard field goal from Hawkin Sweeney and enter halftime down 14-3.

Heading into the second half, the Panthers and Bearcats both had possessions go nowhere. Douglas began driving downfield and made a big play deep into Panther territory — until senior linebacker Reed Smith made a play to get Powell back in the game.

Douglas appeared to be on the verge of a first down with a 20-yard run when Smith held up the Bearcat running back and punched out the ball; Trey Stenerson recovered the fumble, giving the Panthers the ball back on their own 28 midway through the third quarter.

PHS was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, as the squad punted the ball back to the Bearcats. Penalties on consecutive plays then backed up the Bearcats deep in their own territory, with a first-and-30 inside their own 15 yard line.

However, Douglas was able to repeatedly run a draw play, which drew the Panther linebackers out of position and opened up wide running lanes. It was a problem for PHS and a boon to the Bearcats all night.

“We practiced it all week, we saw it on film, but it did torch us,” Kistler said.

The Bearcats ran multiple options based off the same play, including the draw, quick screens and toss plays that kept the Panther defense guessing and led to big plays for Douglas.

The Bearcats drove all the way to the PHS 10-yard before stalling out, forcing a field goal attempt to start the fourth quarter. Douglas left with no points on the board, as the 22-yard kick sailed wide.

The Panthers then put together their best drive of the game.

Driving 80 yards down the field, the Panthers got a good mix of run and pass plays — ending with a 20-yard screen pass from Schwahn to Smith to get the Panthers their first touchdown with seven minutes remaining. That made the score 14-10, but Douglas soon drove to the Panther 1-yard line and appeared to be on the verge of sealing a victory with a touchdown.

However, with the Panthers needing a miracle, they got one.

“We were on the headsets debating whether or not we should give them a quick touchdown,” Kistler said. 

After calling a timeout with just under three minutes remaining, Kistler and the coaching staff remarked that, “you never know, they may fumble.”

The Bearcats coughed up the ball on the very next play, with the ball bouncing around in the end zone before the Panthers pounced on it for a touchback.

The Powell squad then drove down the field behind their passing game, getting into Douglas territory with a minute remaining. Facing a second and short, the Panthers’ momentum came to a halt.

A low snap got past Schwahn and dropped the Panthers back 20 yards, forcing third and then fourth and long. Powell attempted a hook-and-ladder, but Smith ultimately came up short of the first-down marker.

“We practiced the hook and ladder all week,” Kistler said. “We ran it with Toran [Graham] as the running back all week; for Reed [Smith] to have that much success having never ran it was really impressive.”

The Panthers’ season ended with the turnover, as they dropped the road contest 14-10.

The Powell team will be graduating a large majority of their running production as well as their linebackers and line depth, which Kistler expects will lead to a young defense next year — when the Panthers will look to reload for another run at the playoffs.