PANORA — Class 1A No. 2 Panorama had Friday’s home game with 0-2 Madrid circled on their schedule. The Tigers, coming off two losses, could be counted on to play with increased intensity, but a win might go a long way in possibly securing a postseason birth for the Panthers.
What few likely foresaw was the hosts losing three fumbles, finishing just 2-of-9 on third downs and 0-for-3 on fourth downs. Those offensive woes, and a Tiger ground game that rumbled for 353 yards on 64 carries helped Madrid score a 21-7 victory in the District 6 opener for both.
Travis Schieltz lit up the Panorama defense for 195 yards and two touchdowns on a busy 35 carries, with Cody Fisher piling on 115 yards and a score on 18 rushes.
Madrid did not complete a pass, with Trey Cobb making an interception for the hosts.
Schieltz broke loose for a 39-yard TD and Fisher added a five-yard dive as Madrid (1-2, 1-0) jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The score remained unchanged until Schieltz spurted to pay dirt from 22 yards out in the third quarter.
Panorama (2-1, 0-1) finally got on the board when quarterback Luke South scampered into the end zone from six yards away. Michael Allen’s PAT boot put the score at 21-7, but the hosts could come no closer in suffering the loss.
South was 7-of-17 for 72 yards passing, hitting Blaine Barber four times for 33 yards and Alias Stahl twice for 39 yards.
Brody Rickheim (7-27) and South (9-21, 1 TD) led the Panorama rushing attack, which totaled only 61 yards on 22 attempts.
Gunnar Grunsted had 9.5 tackles for the Panther defense and South with nine. Cobb made 8.5 stops, including two for a loss of yards, with Dalton Holmes tallying six tackles, two for negative yardage and one a sack. Stahl recovered a fumble for the hosts.
Fisher paced the Madrid defense with 6.5 denials, with Bryce Dean, Logan Gray and Issac Owensby each falling on a Panther fumble.
Panorama returns to action Friday when they host Ogden for Homecoming.
