Celtics Beat Panthers in Football

On September 13th, the Archbishop O’Hara High School football team got by the Knob Noster Panthers by a score of 42-14. It was the third game in a row for the Celtics in which they scored 35 points or more.

The Panthers received the opening kickoff and had to punt after three plays. Taking over on their own 39 yard line, O’Hara advanced all the way to the Panther 4 yard line where they relinquished the ball on a fumble recovered by Logan Lawber for the visitors.

The most impressive play in the Celtic drive was a 17 yard run by Michael Rowe.

Seven plays later, the Panthers punted from their 20 yard line to give the Celtics the ball on the O’Hara 43 yard line. Four advances of around fifteen yards each led to the first seven points of the game: a pass from Michael Briggs to Zach Drake, a 15 yard penalty, and runs by Austin Evans and Gerard Harker the latter of which scored the TD. Zach Drake kicked the extra point and would continue with five more before the game was over.

The Panthers tried to even the score with their possession and took the ball from their own 21 yard line to the O’Hara 39 yard line where they lost the ball on downs.

Quickly, the O’Hara offense took over. A Briggs to Drake pass picked up the first 18 yards,. Michael Briggs ran for 15 more, and then he passed to Austin Evans for a 35 yard touchdown.

Finally the Panthers had something to cheer about as Darryl Davis ran down the right sideline for a 72 yard touchdown. Kyle Thomas added the extra point.

O’Hara began their next scoring drive from their 35 yard line. Aided by two lengthy penalties, they scored on a Briggs to Drake 8 yard pass play.

After three unproductive plays, Kyle Thomas punted giving the O’Hara team the ball on the 40 yard line. Zach Drake caught a 9 yard pass and Austin Evans ran for a dozen yards before Michael Briggs completed a pass to Evans for a touchdown covering 30 yards.

At the time it appeared that the halftime score would stay at 28-8, but the Celtics executed an on-side kick to regain possession with just over a minute of playing time until the half.

Brock Hughes ran for an 18 yard gain, Michael Briggs completed a 15 yard pass to Jordan Supplee, and followed with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Michael Rowe.

At halftime the O’Hara Letterman’s Hall of Fame inducted former Principal Stu Bintner, softball standout pitcher Morgan McGinnis ’00, and the 1985 boys soccer team.

With score at 35-7, the Celtics began the third quarter with a time consuming drive. Gerard Harker took the kickoff back all the way to the 40 yard line for good field position. When the team got down to the 15 yard line, Dominic Brown intercepted for the Panthers.

Perhaps unwisely, the Panthers gambled on a fourth down deep in their own territory, and yielded the ball. O’Hara employed short runs to push across their final touchdown, a 4 yard carry by Brock Hughes.

Since the scoring spread was 35 points, the game went into a running clock situation.

The Celtic defense held the Panthers to short gains and topped it off with an interception by Austin Evans who made a lengthy return.

Four plays later, the Celtics gave up the ball on downs.

Logan Lawber, Darryl Davis, and Michael Williams alternated carries in the Panthers’ final drive for a touchdown. Williams scored on a 6 yard run.

Both teams brought on their remaining players to finish off the game.