Playing in Week Zero of the football season requires teams to receive special permission from the IHSAA, and with both Panorama and Perry having an opponent that may have questionable roster sizes and thus unable to field a varsity team the Panthers and Bluejays met on Dewey Field Aug. 19.
Perry scored early in the third quarter to tie the game at 14-all, but Panorama visited the end zone four times in the second half to open a 39-14 lead en route to a 39-21 victory.
The Bluejays scored a total of 22 points last season, and head coach Bryce Pierce was pleased to see the offensive output of his team.
“We ran for 230 yards Friday, which almost matches the whole season last year,” Pierce said. “Caden (Heck) had 76 yards passing and a touchdown, too. We should be able to work off of this, to show and say to the guys ‘see, this can work’ and start playing with some confidence.”
Klayton Bremer returned an interception 27 yards for touchdown and Jacob Walker kicked the PAT for a 7-0 Panther lead after one quarter of play.
Juan Hernandez energized the Perry faithful by speeding 55 yards to pay dirt in the second quarter to trim the gap to 7-6.
Ryan Cogil’s 68-yard TD burst and a Walker boot set the halftime score at 14-6 in favor of the guests.
“Our attitude was very good,” Pierce said. “We gave up three longer runs for touchdowns in the game, but we also made several stops behind the line and right at the line, which was something we struggled to do last year. Again, a positive we can work on.”
Keegan Snyder’s 10-yard run and a two-point play allowed Perry to tie the score shortly after the intermission, but a 65-yard Cogil spurt countered the score and ended the third period with the Panthers in front, 20-14.
Panorama put the game away in the fourth quarter, with a 38-yard TD pass from Cayden Vanmeer to Braedon Draper and a three-yard Cogil five shooting the score to 33-14.
Sawyer Simmons added a three-yard run for a 39-14 edge, with Perry setting the final score after Heck found Holden Smith with a 10-yard aerial. Eric Lagos added the PAT kick.
Heck was 6-of-18 with two interceptions while passing for Perry. He had one touchdown and 76 total yards throwing the pigskin.
Smith caught four passes for 50 yards and a score, with Lagos (1-19) and Drake Levan (1-7) also involved in the passing game.
Hernandez carried the ball 24 times for 124 yards and a score while Snyder tallied 105 yards and a TD on 14 hauls. Geren Kenney added seven yards on four carries and Levan a yard on one tote while Heck lost seven yards on a run.
Gavin Hegstrom made 12 tackles for Perry and Hernandez eight with an interception and two tackles for loss. Anthony Chavez had seven stops, Kain Killmer six and Snyder five with a fumble recovery while Jesus Gonzalez also had five denials.
Vanmeer was 17-29-1 for 219 yards and a score for the Panthers, with Draper pulling in 15 passes for 212 yards and a TD while Bremer had two catches for seven total yards.
Cogil went off with 236 yards and three TDs rushing, with Simmons (5-14, 1 TD), Draper (1-14) and Vanmeer (5, minus-14) for the guests.
Keyton VanGundy made 9.5 tackles, Bremer six and Isaac Monroy-Nunez five for the Panthers. Bremer made two interceptions, returning one for a score, with VanGundy and Hunter Dishman each falling on a fumble while Monroy-Nunez had a sack.
Perry visits Ogden Aug. 26 before hosting Greene County Sept. 3 for the annual Cowbell Game.
Panorama travels to Colfax-Mingo Aug. 26 and will host Pella Christian Sept. 3.
