(PHOTOS BY RACHEL NAGEL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
CONCENTRATION … Marcus Nagel pulls in a reception for the Panthers in their 35-0 win over Bryan. VIEW ALL PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
FRESHMAN SIGNAL CALLER … Bryan quarterback Rhett McGill looks to throw in last Friday’s NWOAL contest at Delta.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
DELTA (September 13, 2024) – The Delta Panthers kept the Bryan Golden Bears scoreless in a 35-0 blowout at home Friday night.
Bryan’s night started with a pair of errors, garnering a flag for holding on the kickoff return before Golden Bear sophomore Anthony Weber took a vicious hit from Delta junior Alex York, knocking the ball loose and allowing his teammate, senior Parker Cone, to recover on the Bryan 24-yard line.
Three runs by Panther senior Landon Lintermoot gained just eight yards before he caught a 12-yard pass for a first down on the four-yard line.
A subsequent run by senior Carl Warner gave Delta their first touchdown of the game and, after a successful point after by senior Brodey Roth, a lead of 7-0 just two and a half minutes into the game.
After taking another kickoff, Bryan senior Dameon Wolfe took a pair of carries and Weber caught a seven-yard pass for a first down.
The Golden Bears’ woes continued on the next play, however, when freshman quarterback Rhett McGill rolled out for a pass, which was tipped into the hands of York, who then carried it to the Bryan 40-yard line for Delta.
A series of runs by Lintermoot, Warner, and sophomore Vincent Martinez brought the ball to the four-yard line for a second time. Lintermoot carried it in on the next play and another successful kick by Roth put the score at 14-0.
The Bryan offense started to get organized on the next drive, when runs from Wolfe and junior Cade Carlin brought the ball to the Delta 27-yard line.
The team again faced challenges with a false start penalty, an incomplete pass attempt, and a stifling Panther defense pushed them to fourth and 12 on the 29 to end the first quarter.
The Golden Bears attempted a conversion when they retook the field, but a pass attempt to senior Carter Dominique in the end zone was incomplete, and the Panthers took it back on downs.
Delta’s offense continued to fire on all cylinders, with a pass to freshman Marcus Nagel and runs by Martinez, Lintermoot, and Nagel pushed to the Bryan 42-yard line, where a monster run by Lintermoot took it all the way to the end zone. Another kick and the score was 21-0.
A pitched battle between the two teams carried through the remainder of the half, with both teams going four and out, McGill throwing another interception – this time to Lintermoot – on the first play of the next drive, followed by another pair of four-and-outs to bring up halftime.
Delta took the ball to start the third quarter with the same fire they had in the first half, with Warner picking up 33 yards in a scramble to the midfield line on their first play.
Lintermoot then followed up a no-gain run, and a nine-yard run with a giant 41-yard run for a touchdown with just under two minutes gone from the clock. Roth did his part, and the Panthers went up 28-0.
Insult was nearly added to injury on the kick, which came up shorter than expected and bounced off the chest of a Bryan player, very nearly picked up by Delta before a Golden Bear jumped on it and retained possession for his team.
The Bryan offense was able to put on its toughest slog yet, using multiple direct hikes to Dominique and several successful passes to and runs by Wolfe pushing through four sets of downs and getting them to the Delta 12-yard line.
Their troubles began again with a penalty for false start putting them at first and 15. Lintermoot tipped a pass attempt incomplete on the following play before McGill was subsequently tackled in the backfield for a loss, which brought up fourth and 21 at the Panther 22-yard line. Rather than go for a field goal and points on the board, the Golden Bears went for it on fourth down again, leading to a sack by junior Wyatt Flickinger and another turnover on downs.
The Delta offense decided not to waste time on their next drive, with freshman quarterback Emric Friess throwing a 69-yard pass to senior Richard Flores III, who was barely brought down on the three-yard line.
Another Lintermoot run and another successful Roth kick put the Panthers up 35-0. The Golden Bears fought their way to a third set of downs and the Delta 25-yard line, but stalled again with a dropped pass, a loss of yardage, and a ball thrown away by McGill under pressure, turning it over on downs and bringing it to the end of the third quarter after the following play when another pass attempt was broken up.
The Bryan defense managed to keep Delta on its own side of the field through five plays, eventually forcing a punt which was downed by a Panther player at the Golden Bears’ 20-yard line.
Continuing to shake up their plays, the Golden Bears threw passes to junior Aaden Wallace and Weber for a pair of first downs, followed by a pass to Dominique and a run by Wolfe for another, this one at the Delta 35-yard line.
A trio of incomplete passes, including one to Carlin in the end zone, led to another fourth-down attempt in which McGill was swarmed in the backfield, turning the ball over.
