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Coming off a week one loss to Canton last Saturday, the North Penn-Mansfield Panthers hosted the Wyalusing Rams in their 2021 home-opener at Island Park on Friday, September 3 looking for their first win of the season.

The Rams came into Friday’s game fresh off a huge 64-0 win over Montrose, and put up the game’s first score late in the first quarter. With 1:41 left in the period Brian Arnold pushed his way into the end zone from a yard out to give the Rams an early 6-0 lead after the extra point was no good. The Panthers quickly erased the Rams’ lead a handful of plays later as Cameron Fabian ripped off an 83-yard run to tie the game before Caiden Alexander’s ensuing extra point gave the Panthers a 7-6 lead.

North Penn added another quick score as the second quarter started on one-yard run by Kohen Lehman to put the Panthers up 14-6. Wyalusing, however, added two more scores before the half ended to regain the lead. A Casey God one-yard run, and a 60-yard bubble screen from Blake Morningstar to Jacob Bruyn put the Rams back in front, however both two-point conversion attempts failed putting the Rams only up 18-14 at the half.

The second half was all North Penn-Mansfield as their defense pitched a shutout over the final 24 minutes. The Panthers added two more scores, one each in the third and fourth quarters, to secure the win. In the third Lehman found the end zone for his second time on the night, this one coming on an 8-yard run, to put the Panthers ahead, 21-18. Then with just over two minutes to play in the game they added an insurance touchdown on a 12-yard run by Fabian for his second score of the evening.

Fabian finished with 124 yards on 9 carries to lead the Panthers’ ground attack while Lehman added 61 on 21 carries. Karson Dominick completed 8-of-18 passes for 99 yards, three of them to Fabian for 46 yards.

Gaven Sexauer made a team-high 12 tackles, Fabian added 10, and four Panthers: Eli Shaw, Cayden Moon, Lehman, and Cody Hermansen each recorded sacks. Sammy Lawrence, Shaw, and Lehman also made interceptions with Shaw returning his for 20 yards.

Next up for North Penn-Mansfield (1-1, 1-1 NTL Large School Division) is a trip to Wingate, PA to face off against the Bald Eagle Area Eagles (1-1) on Friday, September 10.