The 300-plus mile bus ride to Malta must have given the Jefferson Panther football team a chance to form a great plan of attack, as the team took control early, manhandling the Mustangs 48-14 on Saturday, Nov. 5. The strong wind didn’t deter the Panthers’ offense, as the road team took a 10-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Mustangs tried to get back into it, making it 10-6 at halftime, but the Panthers never looked back after a 17-0 run in the third quarter, followed by 21 more points in the fourth.
Panther Quarterback Luke Oxarart had 124 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in the victory. Dylan Root added 43 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. He also made all six extra points, as well as field goals of 36 and 38 yards. Mike Emter got on the board with a 32-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The Panther defense and linebackers held Malta to a demoralizing 11 yards rushing.
The game was aggressive and a little sloppy. Early on Dalton Noble came up with a quarterback sack that forced the Mustangs to punt. Root then ran for five yards.
