For the second year in a row, Jefferson High’s football squad made it to the Class B state semifinals. And once again, they met up there with Florence-Carlton, which steamrolled the Panthers last November on its way to the state championship.
This year’s battle, Saturday in Florence, was much more competitive. But the upshot was the same: After a 40-23 defeat, the Panthers won’t be going to the championship game.
Jefferson came into this match-up with some confidence: The Falcons are a very strong side, but the Panthers beat them, 34-27, in the fourth week of the season.
The first quarter was tight. The Panthers kicked off, and Florence-Carlton returned the ball to the 44. On third and 3, the Panthers were called for pass interference, giving the Falcons the ball on the Panthers’ 36 yard line. On second and goal they moved to the one yard line and punched it in on the next play.
Dylan Root returned the Falcon kickoff to the 39 yard line, but his pass was intercepted. Then, Caleb Smartnick stepped up and returned the favor, intercepting Florence — and Root kicked a 35-yard field goal with 5:33 left in the first to make it 7-3.
After the kickoff, Florence started on its own 28 yard line, then moved to the Panthers 44 yard-line and scored on a 34-yard pass play to go up 14-3. But Jace Oxarart returned the Florence kickoff 75 yards for a Panther touchdown, leaving it 14-10 at the end of this wild first quarter.
Then, the momentum shifted. An attempted field goal by the Panthers just missed the mark, and penalties were starting to add up. A nice tackle by Dalton Noble gave Jefferson some light, but then the Panthers were called for a face mask penalty.
A quarterback sack by Tyler McGrady and Jace Oxarart made it fourth and long for Florence, but the Falcons came back with a score to go up 21-10. A run by Luke Oxarart made it to the 42 yard line, but an interception ended the Panther threat, and the half ended with Florence-Carlton in control.
Florence scored again to open the second half, going up 27-10. And it scored again with 2:50 left in the third. The Panthers added a score by Root, then found the end zone again on a pass to Johnny Armstrong. Final: 40-23.
It was a great game that certainly could have gone either way. The Panthers now have finished in the Class B top four in consecutive years, a great accomplishment that they can be proud of.
And now, on to winter! Practice starts for girls’ and boys’ basketball and wrestling this Thursday, Nov. 17.
