By Matt M. Stutz

At many Pandora-Gilboa vs McComb high school football games, the fans in attendance usually get their money’s worth, and the September 16 game was no different. It played out like a championship boxing match between two evenly matched heavyweights giving and taking punches from the opposition all night long.

Unfortunately for P-G, McComb threw the decisive blow with one minute remaining to come from behind, beating the Rockets 35-28 in a physical, hard hitting Blanchard Valley Conference showdown. 

P-G received the opening kickoff and immediately found the endzone just two minutes into the contest, taking an early 7-0 lead, thanks to senior running back Ethan Luginbill’s 23 yard run and Elam Suter’s extra point kick. Luginbill was the workhorse all night, carrying the ball 25 times for 137 yards on the night.

McComb would take their first lead at 13-7, early in the second quarter before the Rockets responded with just twenty-seven seconds remaining before halftime. Junior quarterback Carson Meyer was flushed from the pocket and outran the defense to the left corner of the endzone for an 8-yard touchdown run. Suter’s kick put the Rockets ahead 14-13 heading into the locker room.

McComb went ahead 21-14 in the third quarter as the P-G defense looked a bit tired. Coach Hershey fired the team up as P-G scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seize a 28-21 lead.  The first was a beautiful 30-yard, high arching pass from Meyer to receiver Aidan Morris in the endzone. Morris then went on defense to intercept a McComb pass attempt, giving the ball back to the Rockets. Meyer made the Panthers pay, as he connected with Colin Harris on a 35-yard touchdown pass.  Harris did most of the work, making the “catch of the game” at the goal line, climbing over the defender, securing the ball, and falling in the endzone for the touchdown. Suter split the uprights on both kicks to give the Rockets the seven-point lead with 8:40 remaining; but both sides knew the game was far from over. 

Meyer finished the night 18-28 for 224 yards, connecting with his favorite target Harris 8 times for 138 yards.

McComb knotted the score at twenty-eight with 6:49 left on the clock, and then got the ball back again with 2:49 remaining, as P-G turned it over on downs, proceeding to march down for what proved to be the game winning score. P-G would get as close as the Panther forty-four-yard line before an interception on the game’s final play.

Next up, the Rockets (3-2, 1-1 BVC) will hit the road traveling to Vanlue (0-5, 0-3 BVC) on Friday evening September 23.