By Matt M. Stutz

The Pandora-Gilboa High School football team was in complete control from the get-go in their season finale, Friday evening October 21.

P-G returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, propelling them to score 40 first half points, on their way to a 47-21 win over the Cory-Rawson Hornets.  

With the win, P-G earned a spot in the Division VII Region 26 state playoffs beginning next weekend.

Rocket speedster, Aidan Morris, returned the opening kick 75 yards for the score and with kicker Elam Suter’s PAT kick good, the Rockets would never trail, up 7-0 just seconds into the contest.

P-G running back Ethan “Freight Train” Luginbill, who has been a workhorse all season, scored four first half touchdowns, bringing his season total to 29, breaking and then setting the new school record.  His first score was a 9-yard run half-way through quarter number one. Luginbill then had scoring runs of 54 yards, 28 yards, and 3 yards all in the second quarter as he amassed 134 yards rushing on 14 carries for the night.

Luginbill now also owns the school record for career touchdowns scored with 45 and counting.  The record was previously held for over thirty years by Nathan Sprunger with 42.  

As good as the ground game was working, P-G was also able to do damage through the air.  Freshman quarterback Cory Gerten had a big night, throwing for 281 yards and two scores. The first touchdown pass was sandwiched between two of Luginbill’s second quarter touchdown runs, covering 67 yards to Morris, as P-G went into the halftime break up 40-7.

With a running clock in the third quarter, Gerten again found Morris open for a 21-yard pass-and-catch touchdown to go up 47-7 at the 3:35 mark; following Suter’s extra point kick. Morris would finish the night catching nine balls for 206 yards, setting a new school record for receiving yards in a game. Previous record was held by Bryce Basinger with 187 yards.

The Hornets tacked on a couple of late 4th quarter touchdowns, to make the final score look more respectable, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Next up, the #9 seed Rockets (7-3, 4-2 BVC) will be making their first qualifying return trip to the state playoffs since 2018. In the 2020 season all teams were invited to participate in the playoffs.

Their first-round match-up will be played at 7:00 p.m. this Friday evening October 28. P-G will be traveling to McGuffey, the home of the #8 seeded Upper Scioto Valley Rams (8-2) in Division VII Region 26.