Panthers beat Lawton for second straight week, advance to second round

The wind and rain came in torrents most of the day Friday, much like the onslaught the Panthers brought on Lawton Friday night.  Playing in their first home playoff game since 1999 the Panthers scored early and often on their way to a 49-15 first round victory.

With Lawton electing to receive to start the game Watervliet took the howling wind behind them and pinned the Blue Devils inside the 30.  The defense, much as the week before, stopped Lawton cold forcing a three and out.  A week ago, on their first offensive play Senior QB Kevin Eastman hit Junior WR Aaron Dabicci for a 77 yard TD strike.  The Panthers went to Dabicci again on the first play and the result was the same, an explosive paly.  This time Dabicci took the ball on a reverse 50 yards to Lawton 3 yard line.  One play later, Eastman finished the drive scampering three yards untouched to paydirt.  Senior kicker Marco Montejano added the extra point and the Panthers were up 7-0 with just over a minute gone in the first quarter.

Things continued to go well for the Panthers who recovered a Lawton backward pass on their second play from scrimmage after the first Panther TD.  Having only ten yards to go, the Panthers took little time to finish off their second drive.  Sophomore RB Tyler Scott picked up 7 yards on first down and Senior RB Collin Buck finished things off with a three yard plunge.  With the extra point good the Panthers were up 14-0 just three minutes and change into the first quarter.  Lawton did move the ball on their third possession, but the Panther defense stiffened up in the Red Zone forcing the Devils to turn the ball over on downs at the Watervliet 10 yard line.  The Panthers proceeded to drive 90 yards for the TD mostly behind the running of Eastman and Scott.  The offense line of Senior Max Goodrich, Junior Cody Sposato, Junior Vic Fellner, Senior Chris Saurbier, and Sophomore Jaxon Dehaven absolutely dominated, not only on this drive, but for the entire game.  The drive culminated in Buck’s second TD of the night, again from three yards out.

With the home team up 21-0, Lawton had their only bright spot of the first half when RB Cameron Johnson took a pitch 63 yards down the right sideline for a TD.  The extra point was good and Lawton had trimmed the lead to 21-7 as the first quarter came to an end.  However, the second quarter started much like the first.  Eastman, enjoying the best rushing game of his career, finished off another Panther TD drive with a 16 yard tackle breaking run.  Junior WR and holder Aaron Dabicci fumbled the extra point snap, but ran it in for two points to extend the lead to 29-7.  The defense, offended by the previous Lawton score, was immovable the remainder of the half giving the offense two more possessions.  Those two possessions ended just as the previous four had, with Panther trips to the end zone.  The first score came on the longest run of Eastman’s career, a 49 yard TD run.  Eastman was helped by a great downfield block from Dabicci.  On the second score Dabicci decided to get into the act himself.  Taking a Eastman screen pass and aided with great blocks from fellow WR Timmy Flagel and Tackle Max Goodrich Dabicci did the rest with speed down the sideline going 61 yards for their final score of the half.  The Panthers concluded the half up 42-7 having scored on each of their six offensive possessions of the half.

The Panthers received the kick to open the third quarter and it was more of the same.  On the third play from scrimmage Eastman hit Dabicci on a crossing route, and with great downfield blocks from fellow WR’s Cory Quinn and Marco Montejano, Dabicci took it 53 yards to the house for the final Panther score of the night.  With the Panthers up 49-7 and the running clock in use the remainder of the game went very quickly.  Lawton did add another score late, but the damage was done and the Panthers found themselves on their way to the second round.

Defensively the Panthers stifled the Lawton offense, which had averaged over 40 points per game in the regular season, for the second straight week (allowing only 22 in two full games!).  Senior LB Joe Isbrecht led the team with 9 tackles Collin Buck and DE Chris Saurbier each had 6.  Big DT’s Jake Elliot and DJ Howley had fantastic games, each recording three tackles, with Howley adding a sack.  Senior DE Max “Big Time” Goodrich also had three tackles and a sack despite Lawton avoiding him most of the night.  Defensive back Tim Flagel (playing with the flu) shut down the top receiving threat all night amassing three tackles and three pass break ups.  Cory Quinn and Jake Teunnisen also played very well combining for 5 tackles and 3 pass break ups.

Offensively the Panthers amassed 419 yards on the night, most of them in the first half.  Eastman was fantastic all night rushing 12 times for 144 yards and 3 TD’s, while hitting on 6/6 passes for 139 yards and two TD’s.  Scott rushed 19 times for 79 yards, while Buck trucked it 3 times for 6 yards and 2 TD’s.  WR Aaron Dabicci also had a big night rushing it once for 50 yards, and hauling in 3 passes for 121 yards and two TD’s.

The Panthers (9-1, 5-0) will return to Panther Stadium next week to host a second round playoff game.  Invading Panther Stadium will be the Constantine Falcons (8-2).  Constantine defeated Schoolcraft for the second straight week to win their opening round playoff game.  Game time is set for Friday night at 7:00.