Panthers’ miscues too much in season opener as they fall, 25-13, to Fair Grove

Fair Grove is typically an opponent the Mountain Grove Panthers’ football team needs to play a near perfect game in order for them to pick up the win.
Unfortunately in the season opener last Friday night, four turnovers and close to 15 penalties totaling around 100 yards doomed Mountain Grove in a 25-13 loss to the Eagles.
Fair Grove’s offense set the tone early by scoring a 48-yard touchdown run on their third play from scrimmage. The two-point conversion failed, keeping the score at 6-0.
A third down sack to end the Panthers’ first drive set up what appeared to be a blocked punt, giving the Eagles the ball at midfield.
Fair Grove marched their next possession down inside the 20 before an incomplete pass in the end zone on fourth down ended the series.
The Panthers started their second offensive drive deep in their own territory. Then on the third play, an apparent pitch attempt by quarterback Dalton Shannon was picked off by an Eagles’ defender and returned 15 yards for a touchdown.
Fair Grove missed the extra-point kick, keeping the score at 12-0.
Shannon tried to change the momentum with a 31-yard run on the Panthers’ next possession.
Unfortunately, a fumble on the next play gave Fair Grove back the ball.
The Eagles had a 41-yard passing play set up their next drive that would eventually end as Braydon “Wood” Curtiss recovered a fumble near midfield.
Shannon had a 17-yard run for the Panthers three plays later that set up a fourth-and-one.
But an illegal procedure penalty stalled the drive that ended with a punt.
Three plays later, the Eagles had a 61-yard passing play. On the next play, they scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass over the middle. A missed extra-point kick kept Fair Grove’s lead to 18-0.
Mountain Grove put together a solid drive pushing the ball past midfield again. A Curtiss fumble gave the Eagles back the ball on their own 43.
Some trickery set up a long 27-yard pass to end the first half for Fair Grove.
Offensively, the Panthers had just 87 yards on the ground in the first half.
Fair Grove had just 159 yards passing and 173 on the ground for 332 total yards of offense.
Coming out of halftime, the Panthers quickly captured the momentum as Easton Doroscan returned the kickoff 85 yards for the touchdown. A failed two-point conversion attempt kept the score at 18-6.
Mountain Grove’s defense kept the momentum as they forced Fair Grove to go three-and-out.
Eli Golden then picked up what appeared to be a 66-yard touchdown run. This time, a holding penalty brought back the score.
One play later, Curtiss fumbled the ball and the Eagles took back over the game.
Fair Grove would score five plays later with a 23-yard touchdown run. A successful extra-point pushed the lead to 25-6.
Shannon nearly fumbled the ball away a play later, but the Panthers managed to get the ball back.
He would go on to add a 13-yard run followed three plays later by his 47-yard touchdown scamper.
Golden’s extra-point kick cut the lead to 25-13.
Just before the end of the third quarter, Sawyer Kidd recovered a fumble to end an Eagles’ drive.
Neither team’s offense was able to do much with the ball on their first possessions in the fourth quarter as they both ended on four plays.
Brody Bevan did get a big 22-yard gain in a second series, but an unsportsmanlike penalty brought back the big run 15 yards.
Mountain Grove’s offense would have a drive then stall at midfield.
The game would eventually end as the Panthers’ offense could not get much going late in the contest.
They finished with 220 yards rushing and no yards passing.
Shannon led the Panthers with 12 carries for 168 yards and one touchdown.
Golden had seven carrels for 22 yards and Curtiss had seven carries for 15 yards.
Fair Grove would finish with 159 yards passing and 212 yards on the ground for 371 total yards of offense.
Mountain Grove will stay close to home in week two as they travel to West Plains for a 7 p.m. road contest with the Zizzers on Sep. 4.
West Plains defeated Miller Career Academy with Summer in their opener, 43-6.