Both teams were seeking their first win of the young season Friday in Dodgeville, where the Panthers and Dodgers met in non-conference play. Iowa-Grant’s aerial attack proved too much, as quarterback Brock Hinderman threw for 338 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Panthers past Dodgeville, 33-16.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Dodgers struck first. A strong punt return moved Dodgeville into Panther territory, and on second down, quarterback Karter McGraw connected with Blake Stodola for a big gain to the Panther 15-yard line. Two plays later, McGraw handed off to Griffin Busch, who found a seam and scored. Finley Olson ran in the two-point conversion to give the Dodgers an 8-0 lead three minutes into the second quarter.
The Panthers answered by returning the kickoff into Dodger territory and quickly getting to work. Hinderman hit Ty Cutts over the middle for a solid gain, then scored two plays later on a quarterback draw up the middle. The failed two-point conversion left Dodgeville ahead, 8-6.
Dodger Braxton Staver then took the ensuing kickoff back into Panther territory and knocked on the door. But the Panther defense stopped the Dodgers in their tracks on four downs and taking the back. “We had some nice special teams plays that flipped the field for us, but we recognize that our execution wasn’t consistent enough to capitalize,” said Dodger Head Coach Matt Staver.
Iowa-Grant took advantage. On first down, Hinderman fired a pass over the middle to Cutts, who powered into Dodger territory and reached the 23-yard line. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty moved the ball to the 13, and two plays later Hinderman found Owen Wyatt for a touchdown, giving the Panthers a 12-8 halftime lead.
Cutts struck again early in the third quarter, catching a short pass from Hinderman, breaking a tackle and scoring on a 63-yard play. His two-point conversion catch stretched the Panthers’ lead to 20-8. Finley Olson then gave Dodgeville strong field position with a long run deep into Panther territory, but Iowa-Grant’s defense again held on four downs.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Panthers kept attacking through the air. Hinderman connected with Landon Friesen despite two Dodger defenders nearby, and Friesen made a move before outrunning them to the end zone. Hinderman added the extra point to put Iowa-Grant ahead 27-8 midway through the quarter. On the Panthers’ next possession, Hinderman found Friesen again for another touchdown. Friesen finished with four catches for 132 yards and two scores, while Hinderman went 12-for-25 passing for 338 yards and four touchdowns and added 60 rushing yards and a score.
“Overall, I think we got out to a sluggish start. Penalties and just sloppy play by our WRs really held us back. Those guys really picked it up after halftime,” said Iowa-Grant Head Coach Hayden Link.
“Our game plans consist of getting the job done, period whether that’s through the air, on the ground, whatever. Now, Dodgeville runs a solid 4-4. I personally don’t know a lot of coaches willing to try to make a living pounding out wins against those types of defenses. So, our quick game really needed to spread them horizontally so we could attack vertically, which we happened to be effective at. Brock has great downfield vision.”
The Dodgers scored late in the fourth quarter after another long run by Finley Olson put the Dodgers at the 3-yard line. He eventually punched it in for the TD and McGraw’s pass to Harper Olson for the two-point conversion made the final score Panthers 33, Dodgers 16. Finley Olson led the Dodgers on the ground gaining 123 yards on 14 attempts and a touchdown.
“I thought we came out and established the tone we wanted to early in the game, taking the early lead. Unfortunately, as the game progressed, our execution became inconsistent and again when you are playing against a good football team, those mistakes get magnified,” said Staver. “Our defense has shown that it can play well for stretches, but we can’t allow one mistake or one missed assignment to turn into big plays. We need to be more consistent with our alignments, communication tackling and overall execution.”
Coach Link credited his defensive coordinator for calling a game plan that helped stop the Dodger running attack. “Coach Tyler Kennicker once again called a brilliant game. He has done such a great job this offseason simplifying everything and making us faster,” he said.
The 1-1 Panthers will host 2-0 Pecatonica/Argyle Friday night in the first conference game for both teams in the Six Rivers. Link expects a good contest. “Pec looks like an improved team with the new coaching staff they have over there this year. We know they like running more this year than in years previous, but we expect fireworks no matter what channels they pursue.”
Despite his team’s 0-2 start, Coach Staver knows there is a lot of season left with the Southwest Conference beginning this Friday night when the Dodgers host Brodhead/Juda.
“The biggest lesson is that consistency matters. We have shown what we can play really well in short stretches but need to play four quarters to win. We have to be more consistent and competitive in everything we do, preparation, practice, execution, communication and discipline,” he said. “We need a strong commitment from everyone involved in the program. Coaches, players, families, and community continue to support one another. Great programs don’t happen because of one person or one group; they happen when everyone works together.”
“This week is another opportunity to get better, and our focus is on improving every day to put ourselves in position to play our best football on Friday night.”
