Allen East defenders close in on Fairbanks’ Riordin Stauffer (24) Saturday evening. The Panthers dropped a 28-7 verdict during the Division VI playoff game on the Mustangs’ field. More photos may be found at marysvillejt.com
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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The Fairbanks Panther football team went toe-to-toe with Allen East during the first half of Saturday evening’s Division VI state playoff game.
The second half, however, saw the Panthers victimized by turnovers (a total of four interceptions) and penalties as they dropped the Region 24 semifinal contest, 28-7.
“The guys played hard tonight and I’m very proud of them,” said FHS coach Patrick Cotter. “We have some amazing seniors and underclassmen on this team.”
The Panthers went into the contest as the region’s No. 10 seed, while the Mustangs (9-3) were second behind Mechanicsburg.
Fairbanks (6-6), however, never gave up and didn’t play like it should have been an underdog.
FHS’ defense was up to the task as it forced Allen East to punt on its two full possessions of the initial period.
Fairbanks mustered a 13-play drive that wiped a little more than six minutes off the clock down the stretch of the opening quarter.
Riordin Stauffer and Nick Rhea picked up valuable yardage on the ground, despite the fact the Mustangs’ defense was geared toward thwarting the infantry attack.
The series stalled at the Allen East 34 as FHS fell short of the first-down marker.
The Mustangs began a long series with 1:09 left in the first stanza.
The drive carried through to the next period as running back Jack Hoel and quarterback Jacob Hershberger used their legs to move into FHS territory.
Hersherger also connected with Garrett Newland on passes that moved the pigskin down to the Fairbanks seven-yard line.
Hershberger was stopped by Stauffer for no gain and then threw an incomplete pass.
The Mustangs faced fourth-and-four at the seven with 7:25 remaining until halftime.
Hershberger took the ball on the next snap and stretched for the first down sticks at the three.
The signal-caller fumbled the ball and Stauffer pounced on it to halt the threat.
The Panthers couldn’t move the ball and punted with 5:29 until the break.
The late Bobby Bowden, Florida State’s one-time coach, used to call trick plays “rooskies.”
The Mustangs pulled such a play out of their bag of mischief to score their first touchdown.
Hershberger took the snap with the ball on Allen East’s 48-yard-line.
He flipped it back to Carter Young, who appeared as though he was going to go around the right end.
Instead, Young stopped and threw across the grain to his left.
Guess who was open for the catch?
Hershberger hauled in the aerial and took off for the end zone.
The Panthers gave a valiant chase, but they weren’t quick enough to stop the speedy QB as he streaked to the end zone.
Aiden Robey’s PAT was partially blocked, but still went across the bar for a 7-0 Allen East lead.
The Panthers took over with slightly less than five minutes left in the half.
They couldn’t, however, get anything going with the ground game.
Quarterback A.J. Landon was also sacked for a big loss at the 2:12 mark.
The Panthers punted and the Mustangs then moved into FHS territory.
Hershberger missed on a couple of passes as Fairbanks defensive back Brice Phelps covered on one play.
The Mustangs returned the ball on a punt with 1:23 left in the half.
Fairbanks was whistled for an ineligible receiver on one snap.
Landon later ran the ball down to the AE 43, but was short of the first-down marker.
The Mustangs ran three plays to conclude the opening half with their 7-0 margin.
After having faced difficulties at times running the ball in the first half, the Panthers tried to cross up Allen East through the air.
Landon, however, suffered the first of four FHS interceptions.
Allen East took over on the FHS 26 after a pick and needed just one play to score.
Hershberger broke through the Panther defense for the end zone.
The extra point failed, but the home team held a 13-0 spread with 8:27 remaining in the third quarter.
The sledding remained difficult for the Panthers and they took only six snaps before returning possession.
Allen East drove across FHS’ side of the 50, but later lost the ball on a pick.
Hershberger threw a pass from the Panther 27.
Fairbanks linebacker Tanner Ufferman stepped in front of the receiver for the turnover.
It appeared at that point, some momentum might swing toward the Panthers.
There was no such luck.
The Panthers moved toward midfield, however, Landon threw another interception that resulted in a pick six.
Kade Wireman took the ball out of the air and raced 55 yards for the Mustang TD.
Hershberger then connected with Newland on a two-point conversion that ballooned Allen East’s lead to 21-0.
Fairbanks moved the ball as the game transferred into the fourth quarter.
Landon hit Stauffer with a pass to the Mustangs’ 19.
A holding penalty, though, moved FHS backward.
Landon later scrambled to the AE 45, but Fairbanks found itself in a fourth-and-20 situation.
The Panthers tried a “rooksie” of their own on fourth down.
Landon pitched the ball to running back Ethan Kise, who was last year’s starting QB.
Kise pulled up and threw a pin-point option pass toward Grant Rausch.
A Mustang defender, however, muscled the ball away at the five-yard line for another interception.
Allen East couldn’t do anything offensively and punted.
The Panthers then mounted their lone scoring drive from their own 46.
Kise found open turf and raced all the ball to the Mustangs’ 20.
Stauffer then bobbed-and-weaved his way to the four-yard-line.
From there, Brogan Green went into the end zone with 5:01 left to play.
Cade Ziegler booted the extra point, cutting the Panthers’ deficit to 21-7.
Everyone in the stadium knew what was coming.
Ziegler made what Cotter called a great onside kick, but the Mustangs covered the ball at their 47.
It took Hoel just three plays to cover the ground for the final TD of the night.
With 3:23 on the timer, Robey connected on the extra point that pushed Allen East out to a 28-7 lead.
The Panthers’ final offensive possession of the season ended on one play when Landon was again intercepted.
The Mustangs went into victory formation to conclude the contest.
Along with the penalties and turnovers, the Panthers had to play much of the evening without running back Ryker Green and lineman Holtz Maine, who both suffered injuries.
Game stats were pretty even, at least in the running category.
FHS rushed for 186 yards, while Allen East finished with 185.
Stauffer tallied 86 yards on 20 attempts, while Kise finished with 52 on just four carries.
Hoel went for 108 yards on 19 trips.
The Panthers completed just two-of-six passes and suffered four interceptions.
“A.J. put the ball where he needed to, but they (the Mustangs) just got to it,” said Cotter.
“We had some nice drives but penalties and turnovers interrupted them.”
The Mustangs bit the FHS defense through the air with 117 yards, including the long touchdown pass.
“The guys played their rear ends off,” said Cotter. “They were tough tonight against a great team.”