Panthers Deliver Smackdown on Cobre Indians
By John Earp
This past Friday in Panther Stadium, the Jal High School Varsity Football Team (3-3) squared off against the Cobre Indians (4-1). In their opening offensive drive of the game, with 7 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, the Panthers scored their 1st touchdown. Point after kick was good. Panthers led 7 to 0. The Panther Defense stymied the Cobre defense, shutting them out for much of the game.
With just under 2 minutes remaining in the 1st quarter, Jayden Cervantes ran the ball in from about the 40-yard line, into the end zone for the Panthers second touchdown of the evening. Then, with just 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter, Fernando Sauceda recovered an Indian fumble for the Panthers, and ran it down about 30 yards, near the end zone. The Panthers had the ball with a first and goal on the 7-yard line. At the end of the first quarter, the Panthers led 14-0.
On the very first play of the second quarter, Panther quarterback Zaine Vega, quarterback handed the ball off to Isaac Salinas, who then ran the ball in from the 4-yard line for Jal’s third touchdown of the game. After an offsides penalty against the Indians, the two-point conversion was good. Jal led 22-0. With 10 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter, Vega intercepted a Cobre pass at about the Cobre 39-yard line, was taken out at about the Cobra 39-yard line. With 6 minutes remaining in the 2nd quarter the Panthers took the ball in from the 4-yard line for a touchdown for their fourth unanswered touchdown of the night. The Panthers were leading 28-0. After an offsides penalty against Cobre on the point-after attempt, the Panthers then went for a two-point conversion, which was successful. The Panthers led 30-0 with 5:58 remaining in the 2nd quarter.
Cesar Gomez carried the ball for about 20 yards for a Panther first down with a little over one minute remaining in the second. Next play was hurried up and flubbed up, quarterback keeper, with no gain for the Panthers. The Panthers were able to score right before the end of the second quarter, extending their commanding lead to 37-0.
Cobre scored their first touchdown of the game about halfway through the third quarter, and then Jal answered with a dominating offensive drive, with yet another touchdown with 3:44 remaining in the third quarter. At the end of the 3rd quarter, Jal led 45-6.
Cobre scored another touchdown with 9:35 remaining in the game, but they were unsuccessful at their two-point conversion.
Arian Lujan scored yet another touchdown for the Panthers with 5:30 minutes remaining in the game. Jal led 51-12. The point after was no good. The final score was 51-12, with a powerful win for the Jal Panthers
51 to 12 with 511 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the game. Final score, 51 to 12.