PANORA — It may have taken nearly an entire half for the Panorama football team to gather their bearings last Friday, but once they did the Panthers were able to roar to a 42-17 Class 1A District 6 victory over visiting South Hamilton.
South Hamilton (1-4, 1-2) came out determined to pull the upset and used the running of Logan Klemp to make their case early as the Hawks surged to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. The momentum changed completely in one play, as an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Bryce Halterman awakened the Panthers and cut their halftime deficit to 17-7, setting the stage for 35 unanswered second-half points that produced the victory.
Klemp carried 16 times for 126 of South Hamilton’s 195 yards. His 32-yard burst and Colton Coy’s PAT were the only points of the first quarter. A 26-yard Klemp rumble and Coy PAT pushed the margin to 14-0 in the second stanza, with Coy booting a 39-yard field goal as the visitors opened a three-score lead.
The atmosphere changed radically almost immediately, as Halterman pulled in Coy’s ensuing kickoff and did not stop until he stood in the far end zone. The first of Michael Allen’s six PAT kicks put the score at 17-7, where it stood until halftime.
Levi Leiferman sped 50 yards for a score in the third quarter to trim the margin to 17-14, with the Panther defense striking the next blow when Jeramy Randol scooped up a fumble and stepped into the end zone for a touchdown and a 21-17 Panther lead.
South Hamilton’s success in moving the ball in the first half went missing after the break, with the hosts seizing control of the game for certain when Leiferman raced 71 yards of a TD and a 28-17 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Luke South connected with Garrett Simmons for a 46-yard score, with South sneaking over from a yard out later in the frame to cap the scoring.
South was 7-of-13 for 116 yards through the air, with Simmons catching four passes for 75 yards and a score, with Brody Rickheim (1-24), Leiferman (1-13) and Halterman (1-4) also targeted.
Leiferman (4-146, 2 TDs) and Rickheim (10-44) led the Panther rushers, with Blaine Barber (5-10), South (6-1, 1 TD), Gunnar Grunsted (1-1) and Trey Cobb (1 for minus-4) also carrying the ball.
Grunsted (7.5), Cobb (7), Randol (5.5) and Tanner Godfrey (5.5) were the top tacklers, with Godfrey, Justin Rolfes and Dalton Bennett recording sacks.
Tanner Volkmann (10-31), D.J. Kloglan (7-26), Coy (7-18), Luke Peters (1-8) and Blake Barquist (6 for minus-14) joining Klemp in the South Hamilton running game.
Barquist finished 4-of-8 for 75 yards, with Klemp (3-49) and Volkmann (1-26) receiving passes. Klemp led the defense with seven tackles and two sacks.
The Panthers will head north Friday to face Eagle Grove (1-4, 1-2), who fell, 49-0, at Van Meter last Friday.
