Panthers push Grayhounds to the brink

MT. PLEASANT — At times on Friday night, it felt like it could finally be the time for the Mt. Pleasant football team.

After storming back from 19 points down in the second quarter, a winless Panther squad led district rival Burlington at halftime, and nearly forced overtime in a Homecoming clash that had just about everything. In the end, though, the Grayhounds walked out 41-33 winners.

The beginning of the game went as expected for a heavily-favored Burlington squad.

Despite a couple of promising drives for Mt. Pleasant early on, the Panthers couldn’t hang on to the ball and Burlington scored the first three touchdowns of the game, including a 90-yard run by Nolan Simpson, which made it 19-0 Grayhounds early in the second quarter.

Burlington had the ball again with a chance to do more damage, but all of the sudden, the Panthers woke up on defense, as Cooper Kleinkopf picked off a pass inside the Mt. Pleasant 20, which set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Payton Walker.

Now down 19-7, Mt. Pleasant made something happen on the ensuing kick off. A pooch kick from Aiden Konig bounced off a Burlington player and eventually found the lap of Jaden Bauer.

Jacob Ricthman found Carter Amos on a touchdown pass with 4:01 left in the game, cutting it to 19-13, and once again Burlington gave the ball away on the kickoff, this time fumbling it away for a Bryce Wilson recovery.

In the blink of an eye, the Panthers had a shot at the lead, and it wasn’t an opportunity Mt. Pleasant would pass up. Running back Zerek Venghaus first converted on a 4th-and-1 inside the 5-yard line, and then punched in a touchdown run from 1-yard out. Xachary LaBlanc’s PAT was good, and Mt. Pleasant led 20-19 at halftime.

“Our kids will fight,” said Mt. Pleasant head coach Shawn Striegel. “They prepared all week. They stayed focus even when it's tough on Homecoming.”

Mt. Pleasant took the first possession of the second half to midfield but a fumble gave Burlington the ball back, and the Grayhounds quickly took back the lead. Mt. Pleasant would never be on top again.

From the beginning of the second half until the final minute of the game, Burlington outscored Mt. Pleasant 22-6, with Payton Hagans recording the only Panther score, but Mt. Pleasant had one last run in them in the final minute of play.

Richtman set the potential comeback up with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Amos, who reached the end zone with just 54 ticks left. The PAT was good again, and the score was down to 41-33.

Mt. Pleasant needed to recover an onside kick, and that they did. Again, Konig’s leg gave the Panthers the ball back, this time on a perfectly executed onside kick, which was recovered by Walker.

“Aiden Konig did an amazing job,” Striegel said. “He's just phenomenal at that.”

The Panthers took the ball past midfield, and a heave from Richtman in the final seconds nearly found the arms of Wyatt Woodsmall, but Burlington’s Gabe Robinson leapt up and tipped the ball away in the end zone to seal the game.

“Coach (Bob) Jensen told me like 20 years ago, when the game is on the line, you take your best player and give him the ball,” Striegel said, referring to Woodsmall. “That's what we were trying to get done.”

Richtman ended the day 19-for-27 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Amos had a career game, catching six balls for 88 yards and two scores. Venghaus caught four passes for 54 yards.

Hagans led the rushing attack with 113 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He also caught four passes for 43 yards.

Bowen Davis led the Panther defense with eight tackles. Walker had seven, and Hayden Logan finished with six.

Mt. Pleasant is now 0-7 overall and 0-3 in district play. The Panthers will continue looking for their first win next week at Clinton (1-6, 0-3).

“It's always tough to come back from a loss, especially one like this,” Striegel said. “We'll have to put in some work.”