Despite coming off two straight losses to the two top ranked teams in 3A, the Powel Panthers head coach in a pre-game interview indicated that his fourth ranked team was at its healthiest it has been all season and just had their best week of practice which turned out to not be good news for the visiting Wolves, who had some key injuries and were looking for their first win of the season.
The game was played in cold temperatures with wind and pouring rain on Powell’s artificial turf field. The Wolves won the coin toss to start the game, but deferred and elected to kick the ball the Panthers, who wasted no time as they powered the ball down the field and scored early on a 13-yard touchdown pass, then stopped the Wolves on Green River’s first series, leaving Powell up 7-0 early in the quarter. Powell, on their next possession, ran the ball three times before completing a pass for a touchdown to extend their early lead to 14-0.
The Wolves took over and two runs by their top running back Bracken Miller following an incomplete pass to Hayden Roberts from quarterback Caleb Lake and the Wolves’ Dylan Taylor had to punt the ball back to the Panthers.
Once again, the Panthers showed their power on offense as they started with a 20-yard screen pass, then three big runs culminating in their top running back taking it in from 10 yards to extend their lead to 21-0.
Green River went to their top back again three plays in a row, but Powell’s swarming defense stopped the Wolves on three and out and again Taylor had to punt.
Powell took just two plays, the big one being a 40-yard pass completion and Powell was up 28-0. Green River was able to run several plays with their first offensive success, but was unable to find the endzone and Powell took a 28-0 lead into halftime.
The Wolves got things rolling on offense in the second half after a good kickoff return from Skyler Lee. Green River gave the ball three times to Miller who picked up 16 yards and a first down, but after pressure on the quarterback, Powell came up with an interception to stop Green River’s first drive.
Powell then went on an extended drive, which included three penalties against the Panthers, but ended with a 13-yard pass completion for a touchdown, but a wide P.A.T. kick left the Panthers with 6 points, leading 34-0.
The Wolves then got the ball and on first down they executed their biggest play of the day as Lake completed a screen pass to Taylor, who picked up 25 yards with a good block from Alex Atkinson.
Powell was called for pass interference on the next play and the Wolves were on the move.
Miller then got off a couple good runs of 10 and 6 yards and after a false start penalty against the Wolves. Lake again connected with Taylor for 27 yards. Miller then had a couple short runs and then a short completion to Taylor from Lake, but the Wolve’s offense stalled and Powell took over. The two teams each had another offensive series with neither scoring, but Green River’s Hayden Roberts sustained an injury and had to be taken from the field.
Powell took over once more on offense and took just three plays, culminating with a 28-yard run by their star running back Reed Smith, and Powell had a commanding 41-0 lead.
The next series for the Wolves saw five penalties called on the two teams and another big completion from Lake to Taylor for 44 yards.
That would be the bright spot on the day for Green River’s offense, but again the offense stalled and they kicked the ball back to Powell who ran the ball eight times with the final scoring play coming on a 3-yard run and the Panthers executed their game plan perfectly and came away with a 48-0 win.
The Wolves will be home this Friday to take on another powerful 3A team as the No. 1 ranked Cody Broncos, who just defeated No. 2 Star Valley Braves 22-3, will roll into town for a 6:30 p.m. start.
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