It took just seconds on Friday night to alter the course of Jefferson High’s football season. On the first play from scrimmage, quarterback Avery Stiles dislocated his shoulder. One day after losing running back Ethan Smartnick for the season to a broken ankle at practice, the Panthers suddenly found themselves down two-thirds of a backfield.
Jefferson could have folded in the face of a strong conference foe: Broadwater High arrived in Boulder with a 3-1 record and statistics much like those of the Panthers – a tough, stingy defense and a grind-it-out offense.
But the Panthers didn’t fold. Behind sophomore quarterback Braden Morris, they made it close, falling short at the final whistle by 22-19.
Things didn’t look good after Stiles went down. The Panthers went four and out, punted, and watched the Bulldogs drive down the field for an early score. Townsend added a second touchdown with 24 seconds left in the first period – and that quickly, it was 13-0.
Jefferson turned the game around in the second quarter. Morris intercepted a pass and ran it in for a touchdown at the 10:35 mark. Then Jaxson Yanzick busted through the Broadwater defense and went 80 yards for a touchdown. Dylan Root’s PAT was good, and halftime found the game tied at 13.
The Bulldogs opened the second-half scoring with a field goal to go up 16-13 with 7:57 left. The Panthers answered with pass from Morris to Joey Visser for a touchdown with 3:08 left in the third. Root’s kick was blocked, leaving Jefferson with a three-point edge.
But Broadwater came up with a touchdown with one second left in the third to go up 22-19, and that would prove the last scoring in the game, with the Bulldogs hanging on for the conference win.
Yanzick led Jefferson with 146 yards rushing yards on 20 carries. As for Stiles, who two years ago tore an ACL playing football, an MRI test will determine his prognosis.
This Friday, the Panthers travel to Whitehall for a 7:00 pm start. On October 11, they’ll play at Three Forks.
