By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Panthers and Rockets played like old rivals, with plenty of hard hits and penalties in a rough contest, but it was the Panthers that came away with the crucial 42-20 win in the 7A-Central Conference opener for both teams Friday at War Memorial Stadium.
Cabot led just 14-13 at halftime. The difference in the second half was the big play capability of the Panthers. They had three plays of at least 45 yards, and scored on every possession of the second half.
“It didn’t look good at the start,” said Cabot coach Mike Malham said. “They went right down the field and used up half the first quarter, methodically. But our offense looked good in the second half. We hit some big plays, had one long drive. We didn’t punt the whole second half. So that’s a big win. There are four teams 1-0 and we’re one of them. It’s a lot better than being one of them that’s 0-1.”
The fourth quarter was mired by personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties by both teams, something Malham said he has addressed in the past.
“It’s something we always talk to them about, but they’re kids and they get emotional in heat of battle, and don’t always act right,” Malham said. “It was a hard-fought ball game.”
Cabot’s first big play of the second half was a 45-yard run by fullback Bradley Morales that set up first down at the Catholic 22. Two plays later, quarterback Tommy Oaks found tight end John Wiens for a 16-yard touchdown on a one-receiver route. Ben McCullough’s extra point made it 21-13 with 9:56 to go in the third quarter.
Catholic failed to answer, going three and out before punting on fourth and 12. That set up the Panthers best drive of the game. Cabot marched 73 yards in 15 plays, taking 8:33 off the clock. Again Wiens finished it with a 4-yard run on the counter handoff.
The key play of the drive was a 15-yard personal foul penalty on Catholic, when the Rockets had stopped Cabot for a 1-yard gain on third and 5. Instead of fourth and 4, it gave Cabot a first down on the Rocket 23-yard line.
Catholic had the ball for a total of one minute, 23 seconds in the third quarter.
The Rockets held it for 12 plays on its own 80-yard drive to start the fourth quarter. They also were helped out twice on third down by Cabot jumping off sides. The touchdown by Luke Schildknecht was from a half yard out, and Chris Elser’s extra point made it 28-20 with 7:56 to play.
But there would be no exciting finish. Elser’s kickoff went into the end zone, and on the very first snap of the next drive, halfback T.J. Rogers scampered 76 yards, dragging Elser, who is also a safety, with him for the last 15 to the Rocket 4-yard line. Morales did the rest on the next play. Cabot followed its nearly nine-minute drive with one of just 15 seconds to make it 35-20 with 7:41 to go.
Catholic took the next drive from its own 25 to the Cabot 14, but Zhane Harper intercepted a pass on the goal line on third and 7 and returned it to the 28 with 5:24 to go.
On the fifth play of the ensuing possession, Rogers broke loose for 55 yards and the score with 3:16 to go. Oaks was called for unsportsmanlike conduct on that play for taunting Catholic players as Rogers ran towards the end zone.
He wasn’t called for the exact same thing on Cabot’s first touchdown, a 68-yard run by Morales that tied the game with 5:19 left in the first quarter. Oaks trailed that play and ran 20 yards with his facemask in a Catholic player’s ear hole, but no flag was thrown. The same thing on the last touchdown drew a flag after emotions led to so many other penalties in the second half.
Catholic scored first on its opening drive, and made it look easy. The Rockets went 80 yards 10 plays, never facing a third down until third and goal from the 3-yard line. The handoff went to standout junior running back Samy Johnson. He found the gap between the tackles closed, but bounced it outside and beat every defender to the left corner of the end zone with 7:53 left in the first quarter.
After Morales’ long touchdown run, the two teams traded three-and-out possessions before Catholic scored again. This time it was a 21-yard field goal by Elser that capped a 12-play, 63-yard drive with 9:14 to go until halftime.
The Panthers (3-1, 1-0) then had their best drive. Starting on their own 32 and getting one first down to the 43, Cabot began getting yards in chunks. An option pitch to halfback T.J. Rogers picked up 17 yards on second and 9. A tight end counter handoff to John Wiens got another 20 to the Catholic 19.
Another option, this one the other way to Noah Sorrell, went the rest of the way for the go-ahead touchdown. McCullough’s extra point put the Panthers up 14-10 with 6:37 left until halftime.
Catholic got a field goal on the last play of the first half, and it came with the help of Cabot penalties.
The drive started poorly. Johnson dropped the kickoff, and was only able to advance to the 12-yard line. The Rockets went to work, and advanced to the Cabot 36, where they faced fourth and 7 with 2:30 left in the half. Catholic sent Elser out to attempt a 53-yard field goal, but Cabot called timeout.
During the break, Catholic coach John Fogelman changed his mind, and decided to go for it. A hard count got Wiens to jump off sides, making it fourth and 2. Fullback Luke Schildknecht then picked up 4 yards for the first down to the Cabot 27 with 1:55 left.
Three more plays made it fourth and 3, and Catholic attempted a 38-yard field. Elser missed, but he was hit after the kick, giving the Rockets a first down at the 15. Cabot’s Zhane Harper then picked off a pass in the end zone, but the play was nullified by a pass interference penalty that saw receiver William Plafcan dragged to the ground during his route.
Catholic then settled on a 24-yard field goal on second down as time expired, making it 14-13 at the break.
Cabot finished with 455 total yards of offense, 38 through the air and 417 on the ground. Rogers led all players with 11 carries for 171 yards and one touchdown. He had seven carries for 36 yards through three quarters, and four carries for 135 yards in the fourth quarter.
Morales finished with 14 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Catholic (2-2, 0-1) had 371 total yards. Johnson led the Rockets with 21 totes for 125 yards to go with four receptions for 42 yards.