CLARINDA — Panorama head coach Mike Kauzlarich knew he would need his passing game to operate smoothly and for his defense to remain stingy if the Panthers were going to hand host Clarinda their first loss of 2019 Friday.
Mission accomplished. On all three accounts.
Dominic Walker hit on 16-of-27 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, the defense added a score of their own and kept the Cardinals (4-1, 0-1) all night en route to a convincing 33-3 win in the Class 1A District 8 opener for both.
“Our guys came out and executed really well,” Kauzlarich said. “We knew Clarinda was a big and physical team and we would have to rely on finding success in our passing game. I thought our guys did a really good job of catching the ball, even in some tight coverage.”
“The defense continues to play well and continues to put points on the board as well,” he added. “That unit has been playing well all season and it’s great to see our offense picking up steam to put a very competitive team on the field every Friday night!”
Walker started the scoring by hooking up with Luke South for a 29-yard touchdown connection and a 6-0 Panther lead.
Clarinda halved their deficit with Nathan Barnes split the uprights on a 34-yard field goal, setting the score at 6-3 after 12 minutes of football.
A one-yard Walker dive and Zach Rizzuti two-point conversion made it 14-3, with Wyatt Appleseth stepping in front of a Cardinal pass and streaking 30 yards for a score. Michael Allen’s PAT boot opened a 21-3 gulf, with the margin growing to 27-3 at the half after Evan Taylor pulled in a nine-yard TD strike from Walker late in the second quarter.
Allen capped the scoring in the fourth quarter with a one-yard dive.
South caught six passes for 119 yards and a score, with Taylor (1-9) also scoring through the air. Jack Weinkoetz (3-49), Jackson Carstens (2-19), Drew Taylor (2-16), Allen (1-12) and Rizzuti (1-13) also had receptions.
Walker (14-29, 1 TD), Allen (6-16, 1 TD) and South (8-9) led the ground game, which was held to 55 yards on 36 rushes.
The defense held the Cardinals to 1-12-1 passing for only 15 yards, with the hosts rushing for 101 yards on 33 carries.
Cooper Anderson and Preson Walker each had fumble recoveries for the Panthers.
Panorama faces unbeaten Mount Ayr (5-0, 1-0) for Homecoming Friday. The teams have faced two common foes. Panorama defeated I-35, 15-13, and Central Decatur, 37-22, with Mount Ayr winning 3-0 over I-35 and 49-14 over CD.
The Raiders are outscoring fores 170-27, with the Panthers holding a 141-38 edge. Mount Ayr was a 21-13 winner last season, and Kauzlarich said both teams are greatly improved over the past year and he looked forward to an exciting atmosphere in Panora.
