Sunday, November 3, 2024

Panthers use ground game to tame Tigers

Stevens Point win on their way to the playoffs

Posted

With playoff berths already secured and no conference championship was up for grabs.

That didn’t keep the Stevens Point and Marshfield football teams from trying to wrap up the regular season with a win.

The Panthers and Tigers met Oct. 18 at Goerke Field in a matchup between Wisconsin Valley Conference teams, and Stevens Point handed Marshfield a 35-13 loss.

Both teams had already qualified for the WIAA playoffs. Stevens Point is a No. 6 seed in Division 1 and will face third-seeded Madison Memorial on Friday, Oct. 25, while the eighth-seeded Tigers will head to top-seeded New Richmond.

In the first quarter, Marshfield took a 6-0 lead on Chase Robinson’s 48-yard pass to Brooks Hinson.

The Panthers tied the game with just under nine minutes to go in the second quarter on Grant Chandonais’ 13-yard quarterback keeper, and the score remained 6-6.

Johnny Mathews gave the Panthers the lead for good in the final minute of the first half with a 4-yard run. A fumble on the Tigers’ next drive set Stevens Point up at the Marshfield 21-yard line, and the Panthers needed only one play to add to their lead, as Chandonais found Kasen Saeger for a 21-6 halftime lead.

Grayden Rode capped Marshfield’s first drive of the second half with a 20-yard run that cut the lead to 21-13.

Marshfield never found the end zone again, and the Panthers sealed the win with two more touchdowns.

Chandonais scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter, and Mathews wrapped up the scoring with a 2-yard run with just over nine minutes remaining in the game.

The Panthers outgained the Tigers 429-217.
Mathews and Chandonais ran for 135 and 127 yards, respectively.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here