Panther Creek gets past Green Hope in ‘Fight for 55’ rivalry game

Never mind the 1-3 records with which visiting Green Hope and homestanding Panther Creek entered Friday’s “Fight for 55.” The host Catamounts forced two turnovers on consecutive Green Hope kickoffs en route to 21 third-quarter points and a 35-20 win.

With the halftime score knotted at 14, Panther Creek secured the lead for good with its first third-quarter possession. The Catamounts were undeterred by a penalty that negated a Will Clancy-to-Sergio Castellon 56-yard touchdown connection. A few plays later, Kalen Luten scampered for a 22-yard touchdown run.

Panther Creek kicker Nirvan Jaffari converted the third of his five extra points (in five attempts) after Luten’s first scoring run.

Luten added another touchdown — the second on a 9-yard run after the Catamounts forced the first of the two Green Hope special teams turnovers. A subsequent Clancy-to-Castellon connection — this time for 18 yards — reached the end zone and set up Jaffari to close Panther Creek’s scoring.

The teams split four first-half touchdowns, with bookending runs by Green Hope quarterback Lucas Mullins. He opened the scoring with a 5-yard run just before the opening quarter’s four-minute mark. Mullins’ keeper with 12 seconds left in the second period set the halftime score.

Bradley Garrity hauled in a Clancy pass on the way to covering 65 yards for Panther Creek’s first touchdown. The Catamounts’ Braylon Lamar intercepted a Mullins pass (inside Panther Creek’s 20) before Luten’s 33-yard run and then Marion Turner’s 14-yard touchdown run.

Mullins’ fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Ian Fisher accounted for the Falcons’ lone second-half points. The scoring possession was earned via teammate Ricky Goulet’s interception.

The outcome marked Panther Creek’s third consecutive win in the series. The Catamounts’ 35 points matched their 2022 season high. Green Hope’s 20 points were a season best, too.