Panthers cruise past Salem for another SCA victory

The Mountain Grove Panthers’ football team improved their record to 5-0 in the South Central Association (SCA) Conference last Friday night when they cruised past Salem, 46-7.
In their five SCA contests this season, Mountain Grove has outscored its opponents by a 236-35 margin.
They didn’t take long finding the end zone on Senior Night against the Tigers as Damien LaFranchise scored on a 64-yard touchdown run on just the second play of the game.
Eli Golden’s extra-point kick gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead just 54 seconds into the contest.
On Salem’s first drive, their tight, running attack took some time off the clock, but the first drive ended in a punt.
Starting with the ball near midfield, Mountain Grove first converted one fourth down.
LaFranchise added a 10-yard carry three plays before quarterback Dalton Shannon scored on a one-yard touchdown run. Golden’s kick pushed the lead to 14-0.
Salem nearly fumbled the ball away on their next play, but officials said there was no turnover and the Tigers had an 11-yard carry.
The drive would end in a punt and the Panthers’ offense responded with a good drive that started on their own 48.
Brody Bevan picked up a big 25-yard carry on the third pay. Two plays later, Golden scored on a nine-yard touchdown run. His extra-point kick gave the Panthers a 21-0 edge with 8:31 left in the first half.
On the Tigers’ first play of their next possession, they had a 46-yard run. They would have a 4th-and-4 on the Panthers’ 13 and converted it with a 10-yard play. Four plays later, they scored on a two-yard touchdown plunge. A good extra-point kick cut the lead to 21-7.
Easton Doroscan would return the following kickoff all the way to Salem’s 35 in response to the Tigers’ score.
Shannon scored one play later on a 35-yard touchdown run. A failed extra-point kick keptt the score at 27-7.
The Panthers’ defense then recovered a fumble with 3:13 left in the first half.
Starting with the ball on the Tigers’ 44, Mountain Grove took seven plays to score on Shannon’s seven-yard touchdown run. A failed kick gave Mountain Grove a 33-7 halftime lead.
In the first half, the Panthers’ offense had 250 yards rushing while the defense held Salem to just 110 total yards of offense.
Salem’s punter managed to get off a good punt in spite of one of many bad snaps for him in the game to start the third quarter.
Starting with the ball on their own 37, Bevan had a carry for 12 yards and Shannon added one for 30. LaFranchise would score on a nine-yard touchdown run. A failed two-point play put the lead at 39-7.
Salem’s offense ate up some clock to end the third quarter as they started a drive on their own 25 and had 14 plays.
It ended though on the first play of the fourth quarter with Shannon’s interception on the 8.
Golden had a 47-yard run on the very next play and scored on a 32-yard scramble for a touchdown two plays later.
His extra-point kick pushed the lead to 46-7, which would be the final score.
The Panthers’ defense held Salem to 34 yards passing and 150 on the ground for 184 total yards of offense.
Mountain Grove’s offense finished the contest with 427 yards rushing as three different players went past the century mark.
LaFranchise had 11 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Shannon added 13 carries for 112 yards and three touchdowns.
Golden tallied six carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Bevan added six carries for 70 yards.
Mountain Grove will be hosting Houston on Thursday, Oct. 15 starting at 7 p.m. and not Friday night. Houston is coming off a 14-13 loss to Willow Springs on their debut night for their new field.
They are 2-4 overall on the season.