South Ridge Dominates MIB, Now 6-1 On The Season

Wes Vork-NSO

Click here for the complete game box score

For additional photos click here to view our complete photo gallery

Oct 12, 2012

Wes Vork-NSO

CULVER – What a difference a year makes; after winning one game last year and going winless in 2010, the 2012 version of the South Ridge Panthers football team is now 6-1 and in sole first place of the Great North Conference after beating 5-1 Mountain Iron-Buhl 57-20 in Culver on Friday night.

When ask what the difference was, stars of the game Devon Lee and Drew Janke answered in unison “It’s the Coach”. The coach they are referring to is Panthers Head Coach Tony DeLeon, who, as first year head coach has the Panthers winning six of seven games, compared to just four games in the past three years. Janke added “We’re loose, we’re having more fun, and we want to play. He keeps coming up with more plays which helps get us into it.” Lee added, “As seniors, oh yeah and the juniors, we really wanted to bring it this year and we have. It’s a lot easier to do when you are having fun.”

Things started quick for the Panthers when Drew Janke recovered a fumble in the end zone for a score and Brody Wilton bolted in from 62 yards out in the first quarter giving the Panthers a 12-0 lead.

MI-B cut the lead to 12-6 on the first of three touchdowns by Deven Rowe. Rowe’s only meaningful offensive score was aided by a short field when the Panthers tried to onside kick, but the ball didn’t quite go 10 yards and one play later Rowe scored on a 48 yard hook and lateral play.

Head coach DeLeon said the Panthers game plan going in was fairly simple, “I told the offensive line going in that we weren’t going to do anything fancy, we were going to run the ball and see who wanted to be more physical.” DeLeon further explained “We challenged the offensive line and just played a little power football and they rose to the challenge. Those guys don’t get enough credit, but obviously it’s the guys in the gut that deserve it.”

Lee then scored the next three touchdowns for the Panthers. First it was a 10-yard run; then Lee stole the ball from a Ranger receiver and raced 26 yards to paydirt. Next Lee scored on a 31 yard pass from Kody Karppinen.

Lee echoed his coach’s words on the productivity of the line in Friday night’s big win. “Our line did a fantastic job, without them doing their job there was no way myself or anyone else could have done what we did tonight.”

As far as the gaudy offensive numbers, DeLeon said he wasn’t worried about that. “Things went well for us tonight, but it’s always been our goal to just get better each game. If we do that the points will come and hopefully we’ll keep the points off the other side of the board.”

Still in the second quarter, Colton Peterson scored on a 28-yard pass from Karppinen and Drew Janke picked up his second fumble of the game and scored from 10 yards out. MI-B did get their second score on a 79 yard kickoff return by Rowe, but the Panthers went in leading at halftime by a score of 48-14.

The game slowed down from a scoring standpoint in the second half, but the Panthers still managed a safety and a Lee one-yard touchdown plunge in taking the win.

Karppinen was 4-for-6 passing with two touchdowns and 108 yards through the air, while Wilton had five carries for 123 yards, but the big game belonged to Lee who scored four touchdowns with three coming on the offensive side of the ball and another on defense on the 26-yard run where he took the ball while the Ranger receiver.

The victory moved the Panthers into sole first place in the Big North Nine-Man Conference, and clinch at least a share of the conference title. The Panthers will finish out the season with a road trip to Silver Bay on Wednesday.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com