Panthers fall to visiting Tigers

Barry Churchwell, Stats

The Lewis County High School Panthers football team hosted the defending 1A State Champions the Fayetteville Tigers on Friday night August 27, 2021 at Bobby W. Sharp Stadium.

As good as advertised, the Tigers defense proved to be a difficult task to overcome for the Panthers.

In the first quarter, the Tigers would strike first on a long, 61-yard touchdown run with 7:30 to go in the quarter and a successful point-after gave the visitors a 7-0 lead. The Panthers offense continued to struggle against the Tigers and the score remained Fayetteville 7 Lewis County 0 at the end of the first quarter.

Just seconds into the second quarter the Tigers would find the end zone again, this time through the air on a 10-yard pass from Holdmeyer to Thomson, and the point after took the score to 14-0. That score would hold until halftime.

In the second half, the Tigers would get a 7-yard touchdown run and a 15-yard touchdown run, both in the third quarter, to open up a 28-0 lead over the Panthers.

The Tigers would find the end zone again early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run to extend the lead to 34-0 after the missed point after attempt.

The Panthers would finally find paydirt with just over six and a half minutes to go when Ayden Dunn broke free on a 46-yard run for a touchdown. After the failed point after the score was 34-6 Fayetteville. Ethan Ray would break loose on a 20-yard touchdown run just before the final horn, and the failed point after made the final score 34-12.

Kai Bosque had 2 carries for 45 yards for the Panthers, Ayden Dunn 2 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown, Austin Hicks 5 for 26 yards, Ethan Ray 1 for 20 yards and a touchdown, Blake Carroll 8 for 16 yards, Kael Feichtinger 3 carries for 5 yards, Chaz Sparkman 2 for 4 yards, and Malachi Bruce 1 for 3 yards. Quarterback Bryson McDonald completed 2 of 7 passes for 24 yards. James Azcarate had a reception for 13 yards and Dyer Barnes a reception for 11 yards.

Kael Feichtinger had 13 tackles for the Panther defense, Lincoln Brewer 9 tackles, Chaz Sparkman 7 tackles, Austin Hicks 6 tackles, Hunter Smith 5 tackles with one for a loss, Maddox Kellogg and Eli Carroll 4 tackles each, Bentley Kelsey, Ayden Dunn, and Kade Skelton 3 tackles each, Dyer Barnes, Lane Barnes, Dominic Seiber, and Ethan Ray 2 tackles each, and Tim Brown, Payton Tripp, Caiden Cotham, Cole Farr, and Andrew Willis each one tackle.

The Panthers travel to Lyles to take on the East Hickman Eagles on Friday, September 3rd.