PANORA, IA — AC/GC turned a 14-6 lead after one quarter into a 35-6 halftime advantage en route to a 48-26 win over Panorama in Class 1A District 7 action Friday.
The Chargers (6-1, 4-0) added 13 additional unanswered points in the third quarter to create a 48-6 bulge, with the Panthers (1-6, 0-4) putting three touchdowns on the board in the final 12 minutes to trim the final margin.
“Our kids played hard, but we went through a rough patch that opened the game up for AC/GC,” Panorama head coach Mike Kauzlarich said. “In my mind we did a great job of controlling the first quarter. Our kids knew their assignments and executed the game plan. As the game went on they hit some big plays and stopped us in our territory.”
The hosts were first on the board when Braedon Draper pulled in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Cayden VanMeer.
AC/GC then ran off seven consecutive TDs through the end of the third quarter, scoring, in order, on runs of one, two and 37 yards, passes of 16 and of 32 yards and on a pair of short one-yard runs.
Draeper scored in the fourth quarter by snagging a 61-yard TD aerial from VanMeer, with Jacob Walker bulling into the end zone on a two-yard dive before Braylon Dawes scored on a 58-yard pass from VanMeer.
VanMeer finished 18-of-36 for 267 yards and three TDs. Draeper (6-111, 2 TDs), Dawes (3-76, 1 TD), Klayton Bremer (5-47), Connor Love (1-25), Braylen Meinecke (2-9) and Laytyn Ashworth (1, minus-3) caught passes.
Walker had eight tackles, Bremer 5.5 and Draeper five, with Dawes and Landon Kirtley each recovering a fumble.
“Now we play Nodaway Valley,” Kauzlarich said. “We look to improve as I feel we have been improving on a weekly basis. I believe our kids spirits are high and they are seeing the improvements their hard work is producing.”
