OKCPrepSports

Putnam City North

Panthers

FOOTBALL

Interception by Frantz saves the day

The Lawton Wolverines brought a 3-2 record to Putnam City Stadium to challenge the 4-1 Putnam City North Panthers. With both teams being undefeated in district play, this game was to remain on top of the district standings. 

This game started slow as both teams found moving the ball difficult.

The Panthers had their most successful drive on the opening possession moving the ball 47 yards. However, the Panthers were forced to punt the ball from the Wolverines 33-yard line.

Both teams were fighting back and forth without scoring.

This changed with only 31 seconds left in the first quarter. 

The Wolverines started their possession with 6:00 left on the clock on the Panthers’ 48-yard line. North appeared to stop the drive when they held Lawton to a fourth-and-two play. Unfortunately for the Panthers, they jumped offside and kept the drive alive. Eight straight running plays later, running back Joseln Maldanado plunged into the end zone from the 2-yard line. Ethan Estep’s extra-point kick was good - and the Panthers trailed 7-0.

Penalties and sacks were the story of the second quarter.

Three penalties and four sacks stalled any offense the Panthers could muster as they failed to score in the first half.

The Panthers headed to the locker room trailing by seven.

North wasted no time in the second half to tie the score.

On their first possession, Josh Booker broke free on the outside for a 44-yard gain. On the next play Booker found the end zone on a 1-yard run.

Kevin Cabello kicked the extra point - and the score was knotted at seven.

After that score the game looked much like the first half as both teams struggled to get into scoring distance. With all of the third and most of the fourth quarter ticking by, the game was still deadlocked.

North’s Hunter Frantz changed that with 1:49 remaining in the game. That is when he intercepted a Cornelius Douglas pass and returned it 75 yards for the game winning touchdown.

Cabello’s PAT kick was good – giving North a 14-7 victory.

The Panthers remain perfect in district play.