PANTHERS RIDE HUGE SECOND HALF TO WIN OVER LaPRYOR
The Burton Panthers advanced to the Region Championship game for the second straight year, as they defeated LaPryor, Friday night, 55-26.
The win sends the Panthers (12-1) in the Region IV/2A DII title game next week against Falls City, who defeated Milano, 40-20.
LaPryor (9-4) took the early lead when Ruben Amaya took a pass from Marco Castillon and raced 73-yards.
The Panthers came back on a 53-yard pass from Caleb Harmel to Tristan Brantley.
Burton extended the lead to 14-6 when Harmel scored from five yards outs.
Alex Garza tied the game early in the second quarter on a seven-yard pass from Castillon. The Panthers answered in less than a minute with a 54-yard pass from Harmel to Brantley, taking a 20-14 lead.
The Bulldogs tied the game on a 48-yard pass from Castillon to Erin Patino.
With just over two minutes left in the half, Harmel raced 52-yards to give Burton a 27-20 halftime lead.
Burton took control of the game on the opening drive of the second half as they took over seven-and-a-half minutes to drive 60 yards for the scored. The Panthers converted two fourth-downs on a drive that culminated with a three-yard touchdown run by De’Monderick Winters.
Burton extended the lead on Harmel’s 12-yard run early in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 41-20.
LaPryor had one last gasp as Castillon fired his fourth touchdown pass—a 71-yarder to Garza. But the Panthers put the game away just over a minute later when Harmel rushed for his fourth touchdown of the night—a 21-yarder with 7:05 left in the game.
Winters closed out the scoring when he stepped in front of a toss from Castillon, and raced 42 yards to the end zone.
The Panthers will face Falls City next week at a site and time to be announced.
Burton is making a bid for its second-straight Region Title and back-to-back trips to the State Semifinals.
