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| NEXT GAME Fri., 10/23/09 vs. JACKSON - A |
| PANTHERS 31 VS. FITCH 14 |
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| PANTHERS END LOSING SKID WITH 31-14 WIN OVER FITCH LAPS BREAKS SINGLE GAME RUSHING MARK |
| On a cold and dreary night at Perry Stadium, the Panthers warmed themselves and the Panther fans in attendence to an upset of the 5-2 Fitch Falcons. Caleb Laps broke the Perry single game rushing record of 272 yards set by his Father, Tim back in 1968 against the Oakwood Golden Raiders, with 277 yards and 4 touchdowns. Except for 2 scoring drives, the Panther defense held the Falcons offense in check most of the night. The Panthers scored first as Ben Karam split the uprights with a 27 yard field goal midway through the first quarter. Fitch responded quickly after the ensuing kickoff going 78 yards in two plays as Bruce Reed scored from 25 yards out after QB Jon Ballard raced 53 yards on first down. The PAT was wide right and Fitch led 6-3. That score held until right before halftime when the Panthers engineered a 6:52 drive that was capped by a Caleb Laps 2 yard run with 26 seconds left in the second quarter. The Panthers did let a golden opportunity slip by early in the second quarter when they drove to the Falcons 7 yard line. On third and two a false start moved them back 5 yards for a third and 7. On third down, QB Adam Offenberger was intercepted at the goal line by DeAndre Richardson to stop the scoring threat. The Panthers increased their lead to 17-6 with 2:15 left in the third quarter as Caleb Laps took and inside handoff, broke two tackles and raced 58 yards to paydirt. Ben Karam's added the PAT. Caleb Laps scored his third TD of the night with 9:20 left in the fourth quarter, as the Panthers put together a textbook 14 play 76 yard drive with a steady dose of Laps and Trevor Rirdon runs along the way. Laps' 3 yard run and Karam's PAT increased the Panthers lead to 24-6. Fitch answered the Panthers score with one of the own as the Falcons took the ensuing kickoff 65 yards in 7 plays as QB Jon Ballard hit Bruce Reed over the middle and Reed broke two tackles on his way to the endzone. After the two point conversion the Panthers lead was cut to 24-14. After and exchange of punts the Panthers started their last scoring drive after a holding penalty on first down had set them back to their 11. On third and 6 at their own 18, Caleb Laps broke through the line, broke a tackle and spun out of another and raced 82 yards for the final nail in the Falcons coffin. Ben Karam's PAT made it 31-14 and that would be the final score and end 5 weeks of frustration for the Panthers. Some unofficial stats: First Downs...P -21....F - 15 Yards Rushing...P - 387....F - 205 Yards Passing...P -23....F - 102 Total Yards...P - 410....F - 309 Turnovers...P - 2....F - 2 |