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The North Penn-Mansfield Panthers rebounded from a week one loss to Montoursville by nearly shutting out NTL Large School Division foe Athens, 37-13, on Friday, August 30.

“We’re very pleased,” Panther head coach Tom Dickinson said. “There were a lot of mistakes, it’s a young group and they’ll make those mistakes, they’re growing pains, but but we’re happy. 37-13, it’s the NTL now and we’re 1-0. We rebounded from last week, those are the things we want to do and we did, so I’m pleased with them.”

The Panthers wasted little time as they struck not even three minutes into the contest. A deep pass from Colton Litzelman to Brandon Thompson near the end zone drew a pass interference penalty setting North Penn up with a 1st and goal from the Wildcats’ 10-yard line. Three plays later Litzelman hit Bryan Bogaczyk out of the backfield on a swing pass from 3 yards out for the game’s opening score.

From that point until late in the fourth quarter the Panthers were in total control. With 3:06 remaining in the first Bogaczyk broke free for a 40 yard to push the lead to 13-0. Later in the second, Kevin Alexander converted a 22-yard field goal to push North Penn’s lead up to 16-0 before the intermission.

In the second half, Litzelman threw for two more touchdowns to further increase the Panthers’ lead. The first came on a 3 yard pass to Koleton Roupp with 6:06 remaining, and the second happened right before the end of the quarter on a 21 yard strike to Noah Spencer.

Athens managed to avoid the shutout with a touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, but the Panthers tacked on one more score. With 1:59 remaining Roupp found the end zone from 31 yards out to increase the lead to 37-7. Athens scored their final touchdown as time expired.

Litzelman went 19-for-29 through the air for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns, Bogaczyk led the ground attack with 79 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown, and Kaelan Matczak hauled in 4 passes for 59 yards to lead the receiving corps.

“Our defense played really well,” Dickinson continued. “We had them limited till the end and we subbed and lots of kids got to play. That’s what it’s about. You wish we didn’t get that one at the end but those things happen, but our kids stuck to our game plan and executed it well.”

Next week the Panthers (1-1, 1-0 NTL Large School Division) travel to Bloomsburg (0-2) for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff.