Photos courtesy Jessie Otten
The EP Panthers were hoping to bounce back from an 0-2 start to the season as they traveled to Monmouth on Friday night to take on the 1-1 Titans. The Titans who had shown the ability to run and throw the ball in their first two games stuck to the ground in a big way racking up nearly 350 yards rushing as they handed the Panthers their third loss of the year 42-14.
The Titans took the opening kickoff and used a five-minute drive to get on the board first with an 11-yard touchdown run from running back Payton Thompson to make it 7-0 with7:13 left in the first quarter.
The Panthers responded immediately with Demetree Larsen breaking off a 71-yard touchdown run on the Panthers third play from scrimmage to make it a 7-7 contest with 5:37 left in the quarter.
After receiving the kickoff, the Titans wasted no time as they took over at their own 32 and quickly moved the ball to the Panther 20 yard line with a combination of running plays and a horse collar tackle ( personal foul) penalty on the Panthers. Thompson took the ball into the end zone on a third and goal from the one with the PAT making it a 14-7 game with just over three minutes left in the first quarter.
EP had a promising start to their ensuing drive from their own 35 but quarterback Jeremiah Kochevar had a 25-yard run called back on an illegal procedure penalty. The Panthers would see multiple flags thrown against them during the contest, which cost them a both sides of the ball. Kochevar was sacked on a third and 12 play which forced the Panthers to punt.
A good return by the Titan’s Thompson put the ball at the Panther 40 yard line as the first quarter came to an end. The Titans Tyler Finnicum scored on a 28-yard run on the second play of the quarter to give M-R a 21-7 lead with 11:10 remaining in the first half.
The next Panther drive saw the offense quickly go backwards from their own 34 yard line due to a bad snap and a quarterback sack. A short punt and a decent return set the Titans up at the Panther 35 yard line. The EP defense had no answer for the Titan ground game as a 9-yard run on a third and sixth play gave the Titans a first down on the Panther 20 yard line. EP had a chance to stop the drive but were called for a facemask penalty after stopping the Titans on a third and goal from the 4 yard line. The Titan’s quarterback Andrew Myers punched it in from 1 yard out to make it a 28-7 game with five minutes left in the first half.
With the Panthers needing a score before halftime they took over at their own 29. A 4-yard loss followed by a 12-yard run by Larsen set up a third and two. Panther quarterback, Jeremiah Kochevar gained the first down but the play was nullified by a Panther holding penalty. The Panthers were forced to punt with the Titans attempting a last second 38-yard field goal which went wide right to make it a 28-7 score at the half.
EP received the second half kickoff and set up shop at their own 29 yard line. Larsen then electrified the Panther faithful with his second 71-yard touchdown run of the night shedding two tackles inside the 10 yard line to get the Panthers back in the game at 28-14.
M-R responded churning out a 3 ½ minute drive getting a 5-yard touchdown run from Tyler Finnicum to push the lead to 35-14 with 7:49 left in the quarter.
The EP offense once again sputtered but a great punt by Luke Otten pinned the Titans back at their own 16 yard line with 5:30 left in the third.
The Panther defense had a chance to hold the Titans but on a 3rd and 12 M-R threw their first pass of the night good for a first down to the Panther 34 yard line to end the third quarter.
EP eventually got the ball back on downs with10:30 remaining in the game after the Titans failed to convert a fourth and six pass.
The Panthers put together a short drive but a sack by the Titan defense on a fourth and nine gave Monmouth the ball back on the EP 45 yard line with just seven minutes remaining. Three minutes later the Titans punched in another touchdown to make the final 42-14.
Demetree Larsen was the offense for the Panthers rushing for 152 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Kochevar completed nine passes for 35 yards.
The Panthers, 0-3, will host the 3-0 Morrison Mustangs next Friday in Erie.
