Fairbanks’ Braeden Fairchild attempts to get away from a Greeneview defender Friday night. The Panthers fell in their OHC opener.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)
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It was a rough introduction to the Ohio Heritage Conference for the Fairbanks Panthers on Friday as the Union County squad dropped its inaugural game in the conference, 41-14, to Greeneview.
“Greeneview got ahead on us early, they got some big plays on us and we were just never able to claw our way back out of it,” said Panther coach Patrick Cotter.
He noted that while the score was lopsided, the game was a matter of missed opportunities that were available.
“We just couldn’t finish tonight,” Cotter said. “We couldn’t finish drives, we couldn’t finish tackles, we couldn’t finish some plays and that was the ultimate demise for us.”
When Cotter said his hosts got off to a quick start, he was not kidding. Greeneview took just three plays and less than a minute of possession to grab a 7-0 lead.
Following running back scampers of 19 and 13 yards, Ram quarterback Nick Clevenger took the game’s third play 33 yards to the end zone.
Clevenger sprinted left, found a seam and turned upfield, outracing the Panther defenders for the score.
Fairbanks was as methodical as Greeneview was quick. The Panthers used a variety of short passes to march 54 yards on 11 plays. On the drive’s final play, a fourth-and-11 at the Greeneview 26, quarterback Jacob Nicol scrambled left and in an effort to fight for more yards and salvage the drive, fumbled the ball.
Lest their visitors get any ideas they could stay in the game, Greeneview landed another quick blow. Two plays after taking possession, Clevenger had his second score of the night, a 68-yard sprint through a seam in the defense. The point after gave the Rams a 14-0 lead with 7:17 to play in the game’s opening quarter.
Fairbanks’ second drive was another sustained affair, this one for eight plays. Like the one before, however, it ended on a failed fourth-down conversion.
“Early on, the offense did everything we asked of them, everything we wanted to do, we just couldn’t close the deal,” Cotter said.
While the offense continued to play quick but not find the end zone, the Red and Black defense stiffened.
It was not until 3:05 in the half that Greeneview was able to get back into the scoring column.
Following a bad snap and an awkward and short punt, the Rams took over just 25 yards from the end zone. Clevenger notched his third score on a 16-yard run, skirting left, then finding room to run.
Less than two minutes later, the Rams were back in the end zone. Following a four-play possession that lasted less than one minute, the Panther punt sailed out of bounds and Greenview again took over in FHS territory. With 1:10 to play in the half, Clevenger zipped a pass to Tyler Robinette in the end zone, giving the host squad a 28-0 advantage going into the lockerrooms.
The teams traded possessions to start the second half, but when a fourth-down snap sailed over Nicol’s head to end the Panther second series, Greeneview pounced.
Clevenger tallied his second scoring toss, this one a 58-yard completion to receiver Collin Wilson who was all alone in the middle of the field. That would be the only score of the third period.
With 8:10 remaining in the game, Fairbanks took over possession on its own 20 yard-line.
Chase Litzke took the handoff on the drive’s first snap. He ran left and ran hard. He banged through three levels of defenders for 56 yards.
Nicol finished the seven-play drive when he rolled right and tossed a three-yard pass to Tyler Beem. The Panther receiver was covered, but used his size to position himself and snatch the offering for a touchdown.
Megan Olson booted the extra point and with 4:49 to play, the Panthers were on the board, but still trailed 35-7.
Ram Reece Marcum stretched the lead back to 35 points with a 17-yard, bouncing run to the end zone.
The highlight of the drive, however, belonged to the Panthers. Greeneview’s Rion Evans broke through the line and was running uncontested to the end zone. Justin Wulff would not give up on the play and 50 yards later, chased down the Ram runner.
That never-say-die attitude was on display during the ensuing kickoff.
Fairbank’s Brian Higinbotham took the kick at his own 23 and weaved his way through the coverage team, eventually finding space to run and a clear lane to the end zone for the game’s final score.
“I can never fault my kids’ effort,” said Cotter. “There is no quit.”
He said his team “passionately wants to be a good football team.”
Cotter said if his team can eliminate big plays, it can reach that goal.
Fairbanks, 1-2 and 0-1 in OHC play, will get another chance at greatness Friday as the Panthers host Madison Plains, 2-1, which is also new to the conference.