Panthers secure three-peat as SCA champions

The Mountain Grove Panthers’ football team pounded their way to a three-peat last Friday night when they defeated Thayer, 28-14, to win their third straight South Central Association (SCA) Conference championship. This was their second straight outright title as the Panthers went 7-0  in the SCA outscoring their opponents, 312-56, while averaging around 45 points per contest.
Since the Panthers lost their first SCA game under then new head coach Dan Swofford back in 2024, the Panthers are on a 20-game winning streak in the conference with the win over the Bobcats.
“I’m from these parts and I’m from Mountain Grove, you know, conference championships are hard to come by,” Coach Swofford said after the win. “And I am just proud of these boys in what they do. I’m proud of the community that supports us...It’s a good feeling and I am just proud of the boys and the coaches as well.”
Mountain Grove had a pair of ball carriers eclipse the 100-yard mark with big games and both were excited after the win.
“It feels great from all of the work we put over the summer finally paying off. Just nothing gets better than that,” said Brody Bevan, who finished the game with seven carries for 106 yards.
“I was ready to go from the beginning of the week. This game meant everything to me. I really focused on this all week and it paid off for me.”
“I think (winning a third title) establishes us in the future and for guys when we’re gone and the team,” said Braydon Curtiss, who ended the game with 15 carries for 119 yards and two touchdowns. “It just sets a standard. That’s all we are trying to do here. One percent better every day and it leads to this right here.”
The Bobcats grabbed the early momentum as they gained 20 yards on just their second play before scoring two plays later on a 23-yard touchdown run. A failed two-point run put Thayer in front, 6-0, just 1:32 into the game.
Mountain Grove’s offense stumbled out of the gate with a false start on the first play and an 11-yard loss on the second play after a fumbled pitch.
This led to them punting away their first possession.
Mountain Grove’s defense responded forcing the Bobcats to go three-and-out.
“They came out and hit us in the mouth and we adjusted a little bit…made some moves and then made some plays to kind of get us back into it,” Coach Swofford noted.
Quarterback Dalton Shannon started the next Panthers’ offensive drive with a 15-yard carry to give his team a spark.
Four plays later, he started to scramble then pitched the ball to a sprinting Brody Bevan who ran the ball in from around 48 yards out for the touchdown.
A failed extra-point kick kept the game tied at 6-6 with 4:21 left in the first quarter.
Thayer’s next drive would eat up the remaining of the 4:14 in the first quarter.
They would reach the Panthers’ 33 when Mountain Grove’s Ryder Jones made a sack for an eight-yard loss on fourth down to force a turnover on downs giving his team back the ball near midfield.
Golden added a 14-yard run and Bevan had a big 10-yard carry.
Bevan would then get an 18-yard carry that he fumbled fortunately into the hands of Golden, who recovered the ball and took it to the Bobcats’ 10.
Shannon scored the touchdown from one-yard out three plays later. Curtiss’ two-point run pushed Mountain Grove’s lead to 14-6.
Thayer looked as if they were ready to respond with three straight carries going for more than eight yards each.
The Bobcats’ offense would get to the Panthers’ 6 when they fumbled the ball away and Golden recovered it on the 4.
With 2:24 left in the first half, the Panthers started a long drive and were helped by Golden’s 41-yard carry and he added another for 10 yards.
Bevan’s eight-yard gain moved the ball to the Bobcats’ 23 with seven seconds left in the half before two incomplete passes sent both teams into overtime.
In the first half, the Panthers had a total of 202 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Mountain Grove’s defense held the Bobcats to just 112 yards rushing.
Thayer’s defense set the tone on the Panthers’ opening drive of the second half as they stuffed a 4th-and-6 to end a drive on their 35.
One play later, the Bobcats scored on a 65-yard touchdown run. A two-point run quickly tied the game at 14-14.
Mountain Grove’s offense punted on their next possession, giving the Bobcats all of the momentum.
Thayer’s offense then converted two fourth-down plays and took the ball to the Panthers’ 37 before being forced to punt.
A penalty would give Mountain Grove’s offense the ball on their own 10 to start the fourth quarter.
Shannon ran for six yards and 17 yards while Curtiss added a 13-yard carry to get the ball near midfield.
Curtiss then took over with five carries for 30 yards. After Bevan’s 21-yard scamper, Curtiss scored two plays later on a one-yard touchdown run.
With Mountain Grove’s center having to leave the game due to an injury, the Panthers’ offense went for two instead of an extra-point kick and the conversion failed with the Panthers up 20-14.
In three plays, the Bobcats’ offense was back at midfield when a fumble was recovered by Jones with 5:14 left in the contest.
Curtiss quickly added a 30-yard carry and one for seven yards. After a personal foul penalty put the ball on the 6, Curtiss scored the touchdown from six yards out. Shannon ran in the two-point conversion and the Panthers led 28-14 with 3:30 remaining in the game.
Thayer had a late 32-yard passing play, but they eventually turned the ball over on downs to set up Mountain Grove’s eventual victory formation.
The Panthers’ defense held Thayer to just 269 total yards of offense, with 32 on the ground and 237 in the air.
Mountain Grove finished the game with 368 yards rushing in the win.
In addition to the previous numbers noted for Curtiss and Bevan, Shannon added 18 carries for 66 yards and one touchdown.
Golden finished with nine carries for 65 yards.
The Class 3, District 5 football bracket is now set and the No. 1 seeded Panthers get a first round bye and will not play on Friday, Oct. 30.
They will host the winner of Cuba/Steelville (No. 4) and Buffalo (No. 5) on Nov. 6.
The championship game is set for Nov. 13 as a semifinals win could help them host the game against either Strafford (No. 2), Pleasant Hope/Halfway/Marion C. Early (No. 7), St. James (No. 3) or Salem (No. 6).