Panthers dominate Swifts, 62-36

The Whitharral Panthers finished their UIL 6-man high school non-district football schedule with a 62-36 road win over the Nazareth Swifts last Friday.

Whitharral, a UIL 6-man division II school, is ranked seventh in their division by MaxPreps.

The Panthers had their hands full with the larger Swifts for the first three quarters.

Nazareth scored first blood on a seven-yard run by freshman Zane Schulte. Whitharral answered with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Jack Griffin to Brolin Kennedy.

The Swifts’ next score came on an eight-yard pass from Will Young to Kayle Rogers, but it was again matched by the Panthers with a 40-yard pass from Kennedy to Brent Robinson.

The first quarter ended with the score tied at 16. The Panthers went ahead by two touchdowns in the second quarter on a 22yard run by Griffin followed by a 49-yard touchdown pass from Griffin to Dawson Rodgers.

Nazareth answered with a 32yard pass from Young to Cayson High. The kick missed, however, and the first half ended with the Panthers up 32-22.

The Swifts weren’t finished. They cut the Whitharral lead to 32-30 early in the third quarter with a 30-yard pass from Young to Reid Backus.

Whitharral was able to answer before the quarter ended with a 22-yard run from Rodgers for a 4030 lead.

The Panthers were able to go up 48-30 early in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard run by Robinson, but the Swifts answered again with a 36-yard pass from Young to High.

After that it was all Whitharral. A one-yard touchdown run by Robinson put the Panthers up 5436, then a 50-yard touchdown from Robinson late in the game sealed Nazareth’s fate.

Robinson had five carries for 85 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers had six carries for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Griffin had three carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also went 12-for-21 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Kennedy had a single 40-yard touchdown pass.

Rodgers had two catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. Kennedy had seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Rayden Potter had three catches for 52 yards. Robinson had a single 40-yard touchdown pass. Griffin went 7-for-8 in 2point kicks.

Potter had 8 ½ tackles. Griffin had seven and two interceptions. Rodgers and Nomar Gomez had 6 ½ each. Kennedy had three. Tucker Parkinson had 2 ½. Nate Sansom and Robinson had two each. Copper Popelka and Landon Lee each had 1 ½. Carson Bates had one.

The Panthers will travel to Hart next Friday to open district play. Game time is 7:30 p.m.