2011 Football: Dogs give good effort but go down in defeat, 21-14, to Panthers

An 80-yard pass completion from quarterback Zach Lollar to Chad Ness cut Gallatin’s deficit to seven points with 6:34 left to play but things weren’t always clicking for the Bulldog offense, which, despite Lollar’s 168 yards passing, struggled to hold off an aggressive Panther defense.

"Offensively, we moved the ball well at times, but had a few breakdowns," Coach Kevin Meyer remarked after the game. "I though when Zach had time to throw, he did a great job connecting with receivers," he added. "I believe our effort for the most part was very good. Obviously, we need to keep working on our fundamentals and our schemes, but we will work hard to make the corrections and improve."

Gallatin drew first blood in the first quarter, thanks to the first of three Bulldog fumble recoveries on the night. A jarring hit on Panther fullback Zach Emmendorfer popped the ball free and Cody Engel recovered for the Dogs.

A Lollar to Isaac Mattis pass moved the ball to the Panther 17. A second completion to Derrick Lin, along with a face mask penalty, moved the ball inside the NP five-yard line. Jordan Jeffers drew scoring honors for Gallatin after following a lead into the end zone by freshman tackle Michael Stanley. Wes Cole booted the extra point.

The Panthers cut their deficit to one point with two minutes to play in the first quarter. Levi Hill outran pursuit around left end on fourth and goal from the three-yard line but a low snap on the PAT try led to an incomplete pass.

North Platte caught a big break on its next possession. A fumbled carry led to a furious dog pile on the Bulldog six-yard line, and after the heap was sorted out by officials, the Panthers retained possession of the ball.

Kameron Poepping carried into the end zone from three yards out and Wyatt Mullendore took the direct snap in for a two-point conversion.

The Panthers threatened to blow the game open after Chad Pawling broke three tackles down the sideline after a long pass reception. A Chad Ness fumble recovery on the three-yard line killed the drive.

A Hill to Pawling scoring pass upped the Panther lead to 21-7 after the Panthers recovered a fumbled quarterback-center exchange deep in Bulldog territory.

Gallatin’s final drive of the first half nearly became the momentum changer the Bulldogs were looking for. Cole ripped off a pair of solid runs to the Panther 25. Jeffers showed great second effort in picking up another first down. Facing fourth and 10, Lollar hit Mattis out of the backfield for a short gain, but another face mask penalty marked off five yards and gave the Dogs another shot at fourth down.

Mattis drew the assignment next and cut a sweep inside for six yards and another first down inside the 10. However, pushed back near the 20 and facing fourth and goal, Lollar again connected with Mattis, who carried defenders to the one-yard line before being stopped short of a score.

Friday’s game was a costly one for Bulldog junior Derrick Lin, who played most of the game after breaking his hand. Now wearing a cast, his status for the remainder of the season is unknown.

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs open the home portion of their schedule this Friday against Mid-Buchanan. The Dragons pounded Orrick, 56-0, last Friday night in their opener behind quarterback Dylan Bullimore, who rushed for four touchdowns.

"Mid-Buchanan will be a big test for our football team," said Coach Meyer. "It will be important for our players to prepare and practice well this week," he added.

GRC Standings — Week 1

Aug. 26 Results

N. Platte 21, Gallatin 14
Hamilton 46, King City 15
Princeton 38, Albany 0
S. Harrison 26, Plattsburg 7
Cass Midway 35, Maysville 0
Polo 44, St. Mary’s 21

Sept. 2 Schedule

Mid Buchanan at Gallatin
Princeton at Maysville
King City at East Buchanan
Polo at Hamilton
Albany at Crest Ridge
S. Harrison at N. Platte