Big plays can energize a football team and get it back in the game.

On Friday night, against rival Marian, Panther Valley used the big play to do just that. Trailing by 10 after the first quarter, three big plays that resulted in touchdowns helped the Panthers (2-5, 2-0 Schuylkill D2) score 21 unanswered in the second quarter, propelling them to a 40-17 victory over the Colts.

Early on, it looked as if the Colts were going to be in control. A PV fumble on its first offensive possession at its own 15-yard line gave Marian a prime scoring opportunity halfway through the first and the Colts didn’t squander their chance. On Marian’s first play from scrimmage, after the turnover, running back Xavier Ocasio made a few men miss and scooted around the left side for a 15-yard score.

The Colts then would force the Panthers to punt and would follow up their previous score with a nine-play drive that would result in a 42-yard field goal attempt that would split the uprights from Lucca Stroia, giving Marian a 10-0 advantage. The Colts dominated the first, running more than double the offensive plays than the Panthers did.

“You have to give credit for the way Marian came out and played to start the game, they’re struggling with only 19 kids, but they played extremely hard,” said Panther Valley head coach Rick Jones. “I think we came out and we were a little over emotional early on, but then we settled down. We have some kids that can make some big plays and in the second quarter we were able to break off a few.”

The Panthers went to the big play early and often and it was a special play that energized the PV offense. A reverse to Louie Clouser with 10:24 remaining in the second quarter gave the Panthers offense the jolt it needed when Clouser took the hand off 44 yards for a touchdown. On the Panthers following offensive possession, they once again went big when quarterback Ethan Reis found a streaking Blake White for a 55-yard hookup for six. White made a nice play on the ball coming back to it, out-jumping a defender and snagging the ball and then racing in for the score.

Panther Valley’s third score of the quarter was setup by an interception that gave the Panthers the ball at their own 47-yard line. Five plays later, Reis once again found White, who beat his defender for a 27-yard touchdown that extended the PV lead to 21-10.

“We’re not the kind of team that is going to grind and grind and wear you down, we’re not real big and super strong up front, but we got some kids that can run and those kids made some plays for us tonight,” said Jones. “Blake White was big for us tonight, we got him involved in some big plays. I’m just happy for the kids, they work hard and they deserve to have some success.”

After PV extended its lead to 17 halfway through the third on a 42-yard rush by Clouser, the Colts didn’t go away. Marian got itself right back in the game with a 14-play drive that started at its own 17-yard line and resulted in a Mason Miller 1-yard TD plunge. Ocasio was the offensive catalyst on the drive for the Colts, rushing for 57 yards on six carries. Marian trailed by 10, heading into the third.

However, the Panthers once again went back to the big play early in the fourth. With Elias Tavares in shotgun in the wildcat formation, the Panthers executed a perfectly designed halfback pass when Reis came in motion, received the toss from Tavares and found a wide open Shawn Hoben 43 yards down field for a touchdown. The score would extend Panther Valley’s lead back to 17 and put the game away.

LAUNDRY NIGHT... Both teams were heavily penalized. Marian was flagged 11 times for 90 yards, while the Panthers committed eight penalties for 85 yards.

THE BIG PLAY ... The Panthers scored six touchdowns on the night with an average scoring yardage of 42 yards.

BRIGHT SPOT ... It was a tough night for the Colts, but freshman Xavier Ocasio was a definite bright spot. The youngster rushed 28 times for 150 yards and a touchdown.