It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.

Step aside, Yogi Berra, because those words are now the mantra of Powell Panther football. The boys in orange and black did more than earn the rights to rally around that phrase last Friday night in Green River.

They personified its every word.

Let’s recap. Green River dominated Powell when the two schools met in a Week 8 contest that could have given the Panthers a pair of post-season home games and share of the conference title. It’s likely a few folks from the community were dissuaded from making the trip south last weekend out of the fear of a similar result transpiring. When it took the Wolves less than 90 seconds to score a touchdown following the game’s opening kickoff, it appeared those fears were being realized.

But it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And, man, what a finish it was. Had it been a college game, we all could have tuned in the following morning to watch it again as an ESPN Instant Classic. Instead, it will simply be replayed in conversation around local coffee shops long after the season is done.

Unless, of course, something happens this week to relegate it to backseat status. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine how an ending could get much more dramatic than last Friday’s, but I’ve been around the block enough times in this crazy world called sports to know it can happen.

You younger kids coming up through the ranks of grade school sports and Powell Middle School, take note of the lesson. The game doesn’t end until the clock reads zeroes. Until then, there is always hope. Until then, you play hard and never quit.

Ask Green River.

It’s a trend that head coach Jim Stringer has chalked up to senior leadership this year. That’s a huge vote of confidence for Keithen Schwahn, Cooper Wise, Olie Olson, Josh Cragoe, Zach Thiel, Ronnie Ferguson, Kurt Bullinger, Kaden Stenlund and Cody Wichman, the nine seniors on the Panthers’ roster this season.

As yours truly prepares to pull out of town and relocate to a hotel room office in Laramie, here’s hoping that Powell becomes a virtual ghost town this Friday. If you can get to War Memorial Stadium, by all means, do so. If you’re on your way out of town and have room in your vehicle, kidnap a pedestrian and take them along for the ride.

After all, if you’re going to drive six or seven hours, you might as well get the maximum dosage of football possible in a day, right?

Three months of practice, 11 games and 4,084 miles worth of road trip excitement — thank you once again WHSAA — have brought us to a Ric Flair moment. To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.

In 3A football, Douglas has been “the man” for three consecutive seasons. On Friday, we’ll see if the Panthers can step up and put an end to the reign.

Safe travels to everyone heading down to Laramie. Here’s hoping for four quarters of hard-played, injury-free football and a Panther victory.

Remember, it ain’t over ‘til it’s over.