Panthers’ defense dominates but special teams saves the day

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season has not gone the way the Lakeville North Panthers and the Farmington Tigers wanted this season. With just two wins between them, one of these teams had the chance to get a win and maybe some momentum going into the final game of the regular season and the playoffs. While it wasn't always a thing of beauty, it was another fantastic finish to add to my list of games this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lakeville North defense had played nearly perfect for two and a half quarters. They gave up a long touchdown run to Farmington early in the first half and, since then, dominated the game. They forced turnovers and kept the Panthers in the game. Then, late in the game, the defense finally cracked. With less than a minute to play, Farmington's do-everything offensive threat <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='236878' first='Jonathan' last='Shrum']</strong> found room around the corner for a 19 yard touchdown run. Trailing 14-13, the Tigers rolled the dice and went for two. They punched it in, but they were lined up in an illegal formation, forcing them back five yards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers then changed course and lined up to kick the extra point and the tie. At the snap, North linebacker <strong>Reece Hunt</strong> broke through the middle of the Tigers' line, got his hands up, and blocked the kick – securing the 14-13 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"I was lined up on the inside," Hunt said. "I am normally not on field goal block, but the defense just stayed out there after the penalty. When they snapped the ball, I just ran."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After both offenses exchanged three and outs to start the game, Shrum – out of a Wildcat formation – sprinted up the middle, cut to the outside, and put his team on the board with a 70 yard touchdown run.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After being held scoreless for a quarter and a half, the Panthers' offense put together its best drive of the first half. Quarterback<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='234766' first='Riley' last='Grossman']</strong> found a nice rhythm and accurately threw sideline routes. The Tigers' defense nearly got off the field, but Grossman's naked bootleg picked up the first down on a fourth and two. Inside the five-yard line, Grossman's play-action bootleg pass found <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='313080' first='Wyatt' last='Albrecht']</strong> in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers' defense – led by defensive end <strong>Antonio Menard</strong> – didn't allow Farmington to sniff the end zone for the next two and a half quarters. A sack by Menard and then an interception and a fifty yard interception return by [player_tooltip player_id='348697' first='Ayden' last='Forsgren'] set the Panthers' offense up with a short field. The twelve yard touchdown drive ended four plays later when <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='348783' first='Sam' last='Ripplinger']</strong> rammed into the middle of the line on fourth and short for not only the first down but the touchdown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North would turn Farmington over late in the half to go into the locker room up 14-7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming out of half-time, Farmington would turn the Panthers over, but big plays by the Panthers' front seven – first Menard and then linebacker <strong>Calvin Schmeizie</strong> forced another punt. Defensive back <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='313083' first='Jackson' last='Young']</strong> made an open-field tackle to stop another drive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>"Our defense just hustled and got to the ball," Menard said. "If one guy missed a tackle, teammates were always there to help. That hustle saved the day."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shrum was almost the entire offense for the Tigers. His cutback run on fourth and short picked up twenty yards, but the Panthers' defense would hold.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the defense continued to hold strong, the offense couldn't put the game away. The Panthers would turn the ball over mid-way through the fourth quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>North's <strong>Caleb Pedersen</strong> returned the favor by picking off a deep ball. His long return looked like it would seal the game, but North couldn't hang on to the ball again. With just under four minutes to play in the game, the Panthers fumbled again, giving the Tigers one more chance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shrum saved his best run for crunch time. He sprinted through the hole, cut back across the field, made another cut, and picked up twenty yards. The Tigers converted on a fourth and short to keep the drive alive. Then, with under a minute to play, Shrum bounced a run to the outside, broke a tackle, and scored on a nineteen yard touchdown run with 45 seconds to play – setting up Hunt's blocked kick – and preserving the one point victory.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->