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Freshmen
NORWALK — Norwalk broke away from a 6-0 halftime lead to defeat the Creston/O-M freshmen Friday, 27-0.
A big play in the second quarter and interception return in the fourth quarter spread the score, Panther coach Jon Thomson said, as the Warriors kept fresh players on the field with a platoon system. The Warriors had a 222 to 100 advantage in total offense.
“We were behind the 8-ball late in the game and tried to do some things to get the ball in the end zone,” Thomson said. “They returned an interception for a touchdown to seal the deal. It’s tough when you play a team that has the ability to platoon on offense, defense and special teams. We had equal athletes on the field, but they were able to capitalize on the fresh legs they had in the game. We have some great things to build on and I was proud of how the boys played. They never gave up.”
Matthew Borha carried 16 times for 59 yards to lead the Panther rushing attack. Tristan Travis and Chris Perry each had two pass receptions from quarterback Bryce Fitzgerald. Travis had five solo tackles and eight assists, including two tackles for loss, to lead the Panther defense.
Norwalk 27, Creston/O-M 0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Cr: Matthew Borha 16-59, Kolten Phelps 4-8, Bryce Fitzgerald 2-6.
PASSING — Cr: Fitzgerald 5-13-1 for 27 yards.
RECEIVING — Cr: Tristan Travis 2-9, Chris Perry 2-18, Payton Pryor 1-0.
TACKLE LEADERS (solo-assists) — Travis 5-8, Fitzgerald 5-1, Kendall Crawford 3-0, Christian Gist 3-0, Issac Davis 2-1, Borha 1-0.
TACKLES FOR LOSS — Travis 2.
Junior varsity
A 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore running back Cole Patava broke a 13-13 tie with 4:46 remaining to lift the Norwalk junior varsity to a 20-13 victory over Creston/O-M here Monday night.
The Panthers trailed 13-6 at halftime, scoring on a 11-yard run by Mitchel Swank.
Late in the half, quarterback Jaden Driskell was injured while being tackled. While he is awaiting final determination with an MRI, he could be out an extended time with a torn ACL, with possible MCL damage as well to his left knee.
Driskell was 2-of-6 passing for 9 yards. Freshman Bryce Fitzgerald came in and went 5-10 passing for 57 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown to Evan Jacobson. An extra point kick by Jacobson after the play tied the game 13-13 with 8:28 left in the game.
Jacobson also had a 20-yard pass reception on the drive.
Norwalk answered with a 40-yard pass play on the winning drive, and a 21-yard run by Patava prior to his TD run.
Quinton Scadden recovered a fumble with 1:11 remaining on the Creston/O-M 8-yard line, but the Panther offense was unable to convert when Norwalk’s Daniel Geistler intercepted a fourth-down pass in the final seconds.
Swank finished with 90 yards rushing on 15 carries. Michael Stults led the defense with eight tackles and Dale Boyer had seven. Dawson Smith had a quarterback sack.
“It was great for these kids to get a chance to come out and compete tonight,” said Panther coach Kevin Cooper. “The game was in the balance early on, and I felt like our kids battled back and started to match their intensity. We played very well in the second half and were able to tie the game late. They came back and secured the win with a touchdown. Hopefully we can continue to improve throughout the year.”
Norwalk 20,
Creston/O-M 13
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Cr: Mitchel Swank 15-90, Dale Boyer 6-20, Bryce Fitzgerald 3-16.
PASSING — Cr: Jaden Driskell 2-6 for 9 yards; Bryce Fitzgerald 5-10 for 57 yards.
RECEIVING — Evan Jacobson 2-30, Swank 1-10, Cody Wagner 1-5, Boyer 1-4.
TACKLE LEADERS — Michael Stults 8, Dale Boyer 7, Dustin Merritt 5, Tucker Flynn 4, Ian Burns 4.
FUMBLE RECOVERIES — Quinton Scadden 1.
SACKS — Dawson Smith 1.