Fairbanks quarterback Jacob Nicol (5) looks for running room against West Jefferson on Friday. The Panthers dropped their Homecoming game, 48-27.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Will Channell)
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The Fairbanks Panthers put up a strong battle for three quarters Friday evening during their Homecoming game.
The unbeaten West Jefferson Rough Riders, though, tallied a couple of touchdowns during the fourth period and pulled away to a 48-27 victory.
The game began as though it might be a real blowout by the visitors.
The Rough Riders scored on their second possession, taking the ball 61 yards in six plays.
A one-yard plunge into the end zone by Ethan Higgins and Justin Williams’ PAT gave West Jefferson a 7-0 lead.
The Panthers (3-3) lost the ball on their ensuing possession and the Riders converted the turnover into another score.
FHS quarterback Jacob Nicol completed a pass to Wyatt Damron at the Fairbanks 42.
West Jeff’s Caleb Vanhook stripped the ball away and returned it to the end zone.
Fairbanks was whistled for holding on the return, but the infraction was declined.
Williams once again booted the extra point for a two-touchdown advantage.
It would have been very easy for the Panthers to slump their shoulders and fold their tents.
That, however, is not their way of conducting business.
The game marked the return of senior Beau Sloan, who had missed the past few weeks with an ankle injury.
Sloan scored his first touchdown of the night when the Panthers wiped nearly three minutes off the first-period clock on a 12-play drive.
Nicol distributed the ball to four different receivers before finding Sloan for a 33-yard TD pass.
Megan Olson’s extra point halved the deficit to 14-7, a lead the Riders took into the second quarter.
West Jefferson finished the quarter with possession of the pigskin and needed only two plays into the ensuing stanza to build on its lead.
Wyatt Dillion put the finishing touches on the series with a two-yard run. Williams’ conversion expanded the Riders’ margin to 21-7.
It was time for Sloan to put on another show during the ensuing kickoff.
He fielded the ball at the FHS 17-yard-line and began slipping his way through would-be tacklers.
Sloan didn’t stop until he had raced 83 yards for his second touchdown.
Olson’s extra point pulled the Panthers to within 21-14 with 11:28 remaining until halftime.
“Beau is a good athlete and he stretched the field a bit for us tonight,” said FHS coach Patrick Cotter.
Both teams exchanged punts on their next possessions.
The Panthers (who will travel to Northeastern on Friday) came up with a nifty special teams play that appeared to continue a shift in momentum toward the home team.
Chase Litzke recovered a fumble on the Riders’ punt return, giving the Panthers a first down at the Rider 40.
Unfortunately, they managed only four yards and lost possession on downs.
West Jefferson took over at its own 36 and capitalized on the opportunity.
Quarterback Lance Lambert’s pass to Williams covered 33 yards and concluded in the end zone.
Williams’ extra point attempt failed, but the Riders had climbed to a 27-14.
To their credit, the Panthers continued the fight, scoring on their next possession.
Litzke wrapped up the 10-play series on a nine-yard pass from Nicol.
The Panther QB had started to take off on the run, but found the lanes clogged with Rough Riders.
At the last minute, he lofted a pass that found Litzke’s open arms in the end zone.
Olson’s extra point pulled FHS to within 27-21.
The Panthers had one more scoring opportunity before the end of the half.
FHS took over possession at its own 35-yard-line after a Rider punt.
Nicol hit Brian Higinbotham with a couple of passes and the series was aided by two WJ penalties.
Those infractions helped the Panthers move down inside the two-yard-line.
The West Jeff defense, stiffened, however, and stopped Nicol short of the goal line on fourth down.
The Riders ran a couple of plays as time expired.
The teams kept going at it like a pair of prize fighters during the third period.
West Jefferson’s next touchdown came after the Panthers shanked a punt.
The Riders began on a short field at the FHS 33 and covered the rest of the distance in eight plays.
Higgins scored on another one-yard burst.
Dillion ran in the two-point conversion that gave the Rough Riders a 35-21 advantage.
The teams swapped several punts as the quarter neared the two-minute mark.
FHS did notch a first down when punter Mason Cushman covered some real estate on a fake kick.
The Panthers, though, had to again punt.
The ball rolled dead on the West Jefferson seven-yard-line.
Gabe Jones ripped off a big run for the Riders, but coughed up the ball.
Cushman recovered at the 23-yard-line.
Nicol carried twice and got the ball down to the WJ 12-yard-line.
From there, he connected with Damron for a touchdown pass.
Olson’s extra point missed the mark, but FHS had cut the deficit to 35-27 with a little more than a minute left in the third quarter.
The Rough Riders put the game away with their fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Higgins scored from four yards out and Lambert added an 11-yard run.
The quarterback’s touchdown gave the visitors a 48-27 advantage with a little more than three minutes left in the game.
The Panthers moved deep into West Jeff territory, but an interception by Vanhook at the Rider two-yard-line basically ended the game.
“Our offense moved the ball up and down the field, but we have to finish drives,” said Cotter. “Our defense also has to get off the field on third down.
“West Jefferson scored twice in crunch time and we were able to do that only once.”