Panther’s season ends in Hermleigh

The Whitharral Panthers’ football season came to an end last Saturday with a 76-31 loss to the Benjamin Mustangs in the UIL Class 1A-2 State High School Football Semi-Final game in Hermleigh.

The game was cut short with 1:53 remaining in the third quarter by the 45 point rule.

That rule, in UIL six-man football, states that whenever any team is ahead by 45 points or more at half-time or after, the game is called.

The Panthers’ 31 points was the most scored on Benjamin all season and Whitharral was also one of the few teams this season to make the Mustangs play into the second half.

“We felt like we had a great game plan and that we were prepared scheme-wise,” said head football coach Jeremy Holt.

Holt added that he was proud of how his team had performed all season.

“Our kids played their hearts out and played until the very end for each other,” he said. “I told our kids at the beginning of the year, that if they worked their tails off they would have a chanceto win their last game, but it doesn’t guarantee it.”

“Our kids did that and provided themselves with a chance,” He added. “We could not ask anymore of them. We are all so proud of them.”

Hermleigh’s field is canted slightly for a northwest-southeast direction.

Whitharral won the toss and elected to take the ball running to the northwest.

The Panthers looked to be in trouble on their first possession. They started on their own 20 after the Benjamin kick sailed through the end-zone, then a first down run by Brent Robinson was called back, pushing Whitharral back to third down and 15 yards.

Shamadrick Weaver got seven yards on the third down play, then on fourth down and eight yards, exploded down to the Whitharral 36-yard-line before being shut down.

Weaver found Jack Griffin open on the first down, but the pass was only good for a fiveyard loss. Then Weaver exploded again on second down, this time for 49 yards and the first score of the game.

Griffin’s kick was good and the Panthers led 8-0 with 7:33 left in the first quarter.

A big return from Benjamin’s Grayson Rigdon gave the Mustangs a first down and 15 yards from the Whitharral 29yard-line. Rigdon got the call on the first play from scrimmage for a 29-yard touchdown.

Marco Zana made the twopoint kick for an 8-8 tie with 7:12 left in the first quarter.

Whitharral was forced to punt on the next possession, pinning Benjamin back on their own 20-yard-line.

After a first down run by Rigdon put the Mustangs on their own 37, Benjamin went to Brody White for the rest of the drive, culminating in a 29-yard touchdown by the big fullback.

Another good kick and the Mustangs led 16-8 with 3:19 left in the first quarter. Benjamin scored again after Whitharral was forced to turnover on downs at the Panther 12-yardline with 1:14 left in the quarter.

A 23 yard-run by Rigdon at the buzzer with a good kick made the score 24-8 for the Mustangs going into the second quarter.

The Panthers found themselves deeper in the hole early in the second quarter. A fumble from Robinson was picked up by White for a first-and-goal from the Whitharral two-yard-line.

Rigdon again got the call and the score was 32-8 after Zana’s kick, just 30 seconds into the second quarter.

Whitharral took over on their own 25 with 9:24 left in the half and fought their way down to the Benjamin 13-yard-line where two runs by Weaver got them to a third down and goal from the Mustang two-yard-line.

That’s when Ryan McDaniel got the call. The big man hammered two yards into the endzone and Griffin made the kick to cut the Benjamin lead to 32-16 with 6:17 left.

The Mustangs wasted no time in responding, scoring on the third play from scrimmage of their next drive on a Rigdon to Nicholas Ham combination for a 40-16 lead with 5:20 left in the half.

Whitharral’s next drive was a long, hard slog against the Mustang defense again, but this time, the final play, a pass from Jeryn Ellerd to Weaver, while complete, fell just inches short of the first down on fourth down and nine yards.

Benjamin scored one more time in the first half, but this time their kick failed. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Rigdon moved the kicker back to the 20-yard-line and the Panthers blocked the kick.

Benjamin had the ball first and scored on their first drive.

This time, the kick failed due to a poor snap, but the Mustangs led 52-16 with 7:59 left in the quarter.

Whitharral answered with a touchdown on some big plays.

Taking over on their own 30yard-line, Ellerd found Robinson open for 36 yards and a first down and goal to go at the Benjamin 14yard-line.

Weaver got down to the 11yard-line on first down, then hit Kaden Smith for the touchdown on second down.

Griffin’s kick was good and the score stood at Benjamin 52, Whitharral 24. Benjamin made it 60-24 on a 42yard run by Ham, then forced Whitharral to turnover on downs at their own 27-yard-line.

That set up another Benjamin touchdown, this one for 21 yards by White, and a 68-24 score with 2:46 left in the quarter.

Robinson answered on the kick with a 46-yard touchdown run.

Ellerd found Jarrett Fryar open for the extra point to cut the lead to 68-31 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter.

The final score cam again on a 31-yard run by Rigdon on second down and two yards.

Zana’s kick made the lead 7631 with 1:53 left in the third quarter and invoked the 45 point rule.

Ellerd went 4-for-7 for 68 yards, while Weaver was 5-for-10 for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Weaver also had 11 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown. Victor Saenz had two carries for 28 yards. Robinson had nine carries for 16 yards. Smith had three carries for 11 yards. Cason Wischkaemper had a single carry for one yard.

McDaniel had two carries for minus nine yards and a touchdown. Robinson had three catches for 65 yards. Weaver had two for 16 yards. Fryar had a single 16 yard catch.

Smith had a touchdown catch for 11 yards. Griffin had two catches for seven yards.

Nomar Gomez led the defense with six tackles. Wischkaemper had 4 ½. Rayden Potter had 2 ½. Robinson and Griffin had 1 ½ each. McDaniel and Ellerd had a tackle each. Saenz and Dawson Rodgers each had an assist.

Griffin had a 47-yard punt. Robinson had five kick returns for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Weaver had two returns for 17 yards.

The Panthers finish their season at 12-2 with championships at the district, bidistrict, area and regional level.