Panthers on a roll

Published 11:33 pm Friday, October 28, 2011

EVERETT — If anyone remembers when the Snohomish Panthers were 0-5, it probably seems like a distant memory.

The Panthers won their fourth consecutive game Friday night, a 56-7 decision over the Jackson Timberwolves, to advance to a quad-district playoff game next week.

There was no d

enying that the Panthers had things clicking on all cylinders.

“That is probably a great way to put it,” Snohomish coach Mark Perry said. “Our kids came out ready to play.

“The kids just all rallied around each other and they played probably as well as they could play.”

Snohomish didn’t do it with much flash. The Panthers did it with a ground-and-pound attack that the Timberwolves failed to stop from the game’s opening kick.

On the first drive of the game, Snohomish used just three plays — all runs — to put the first points of the game on the scoreboard. Senior Conner McDonald capped the quick drive with a 67-yard touchdown run.

Junior Russell Crippen scored on a 21-yard run and McDonald scored again from 6 yards out and the Panthers led by 21 points and less than five minutes into the game.

McDonald continued his first half dominance on the second play of the second quarter, scoring from 11 yards out to give the Panthers a 28-0 lead.

It was a far cry from how the Panthers played in the first five games of the season.

“It’s a message to themselves,” Perry said. “They are building confidence. They believe in themselves. They got to the five losses and you are starting to doubt your system and what’s going on in your system, but they got better every week. We played some tough teams in those first five games.

“We are reaping the rewards of playing quality teams, even if we lost,” Perry said.

McDonald ran the ball seven times for 109 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.

“Our line just does a phenomenal job all the time,” McDonald said. “The last few games they have opened up huge holes and there is nowhere to go but open field.”

The Panthers didn’t let up at all in the second quarter, junior Peter St. Marie scored on a 15-yard run to give the Panthers a 35-0 lead.

The Timberwolves would find the end zone with just 50 seconds remaining in the first half when Sam Brown hit Andrew Dodd for a 6-yard pass.

In total, the Panthers rushed for 226 yards and five touchdowns in the first half. On top of the Panthers ability to run the football, if they ever decided to pass, that worked too. Snohomish quarterback Mitchell Stewart completed all four of his first-half pass attempts.

With the running game already working, the Panthers continued to attack the Timberwolves with the passing game in the second half. Stewart connected with Crippen twice, on touchdown passes of 20 and 61 yards to extend the Panthers lead even further.

Stewart threw two passes in the second half, but both went for touchdowns. Stewart went 6-for-6 in the game for 143 yards and two touchdowns. “Mitchell Stewart had a great game tonight,” Perry said.

The Snohomish offense simply appeared unstoppable throughout the football game. The Panthers scored on eight of their first nine drives of the game. The only drive the Panthers did not score was when Stewart took a knee to end the first half.

And as impressive as the Panthers offense was, the defense was equally as impressive, forcing the Timberwolves into four turnovers.

“They were in the right spot all the time,” Perry said of his defense. “They were lined up like the coaches wanted them to and they executed the way they were supposed to do, a lot of pressure from the d-line … on Brown. And just the total package by a bunch of kids working their tails off.”

At Everett Memorial Stadium

Snohomish 21 14 14 7 — 56

Jackson 0 7 0 0 — 7

Sno–McDonald 67 run (Melander kick)

Sno–Crippen 21 run (Melander kick)

Sno–McDonald 6 run (Melander kick)

Sno–McDonald 11 run (Melander kick)

Sno–St. Marie 15 run (Melander kick)

Jack–Dodd 6 pass from Brown (Hodge kick)

Sno–Crippen 20 pass from Stewart (Melander kick)

Sno–Crippen 61 pass from Stewart (Melander kick)

Sno–Stich 7 run (Melander kick)

Records–Snohomish 4-5 overall, Jackson 4-5