Concordia Panthers Start Season with 26-20 Home Win Over Chapman
Four different players scored touchdowns while the Concordia defense forced three turnovers in leading the Panthers to a 26-20 North Central Kanas League win over the Chapman Irish at Harold M. Clark Stadium in Concordia on Friday, September 2nd.
A 17-yard rushing touchdown by Senior Alec Francis put the Panthers ahead for good with 6:17 remaining.
Concordia failed to score on a two-point conversion run after Francis' go-ahead touchdown, leaving Chapman with an opportunity to either pull out the win or tie the game for the fourth time.
The Concordia defense, which limited Chapman to 240 yards of total offense and two offensive touchdowns, came through with one more stop when Francis broke up a pass on 4th-and-9 to give the Panthers the ball back with 40 seconds to go to clinch the win.
The Panthers now have won six straight regular season games at home, dating back to October 23, 2020.
Concordia opened the game with a five-play, 65-yard drive, capped off by Senior Running Back Stryker Hake sprinting and cutting through the field for a 45-yard touchdown run on his first rush of the season.
Following the touchdown, Chapman kick returner Ian Suther returned the kick 73-yards to the Panthers' 12-yard line. The Irish capitalized on their field position with Junior Aiden Whitley scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 6-6 with 7:13 left in the first quarter.
The Concordia defense forced three first-half turnovers -- a pair of interceptions and a lost fumble -- allowing the game to remain close while the offense found a rhythm.
Free Safety Stryker Hake picked off Nick Anderson's first pass of the season in the red zone.
Hake later fell on a loose ball after Whitley was stripped fighting through the Panther defensive line.
The fumble recovery led to a 10-yard touchdown run by Junior Wingback Joey Henderson later in the drive.
Junior Caleb Hanson ran in a two-point conversion to give the Panthers a 14-6 lead with 7:56 remaining in the opening half.
Later in the half, Concordia Senior Linebacker Chayton Alquist-Pennell dove for a fourth-down interception to keep the Panthers out in front at the intermission.
Whitley had an electrifying 89-yard kick return for a touchdown at the beginning of the third quarter. Suther converted on a two-point conversion run and the game was tied at 14 just 15-seconds into the second half.
Concordia Junior Quarterback Braeden Primeaux responded by leading his team on a 20-play, 68-yard touchdown drive, burning 11 minutes and 7 seconds off the clock.
The Panthers started the drive at their own 32-yard line. The team converted three fourth-down opportunities, two of them on runs by Francis and the other on a 15-yard throw from Primeaux to Francis. All told, Primeaux completed 3 of 4 pass attempts on the drive.
The drive culminated in a 1-yard touchdown run by Primeaux to give Concordia a 20-14 advantage heading to the fourth quarter.
Chapman was limited to one offensive play in the third quarter.
On the first play from scrimmage in the fourth period, Suther turned on the motors and couldn't be stopped on a 79-yard rushing touchdown for Chapman, tying the game again at 20-all.
The two teams then traded punts.
With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Panthers faced a 2nd-and-11 from the Irish 49-yard line. Hake powered his way for a 9-yard gain. That, plus a face mask penalty at the end of the play, set the Panthers up at the Irish 25-yard line.
Three plays later, Francis scrambled for a 17-yard touchdown to put Concordia on top for good, 26-20, with 6:17 remaining.
A big fourth quarter defensive stand then helped the Panthers pick up their first win of the season.
Concordia posted 328 yards of total offense in the win.
Concordia is back at home to host Abilene on Friday, September 9th. The Cowboys ended a 25-game losing streak with a 14-7 home win over Marysville on September 2nd. Kickoff from Harold M. Clark Stadium is slated for 7 pm and the game can be heard on 1390 KNCK, 98.3 FM and NCKToday.com.