The Saint Jo Panthers faced their biggest test of the season on Friday as they drove three-plus hours to take on state-ranked Union Hill.
The Bulldogs showed why they are so well regarded as they outplayed the Panthers, winning 46-29.
Saint Jo started the game about as bad as a team could. The first two offensive plays were fumbles Union Hill recovered. Both times the Bulldogs took little time to turn them into touchdowns. With less than a minute gone in the game, Union Hill led 14-0.
The Panthers got their act together and established a drive featuring its power running game. Despite a holding penalty setting the team back, running back Logan Brawner found some room to the outside and scored on a 24-yard run diving for the pylon. The touchdown cut the lead to 14-7.
The Bulldogs offense failed to be slowed down on their first drive not after a turnover. The touchdown run put Union Hill up 22-7 heading into the second quarter.
Saint Jo answered with its next drive as its offense slowly but surely ran its way up the field. Only one play went for more than 10-yards, a crucial fourth down conversion Brawner sliced for 16 yards. In the end, bruising fullback Chance Bennett scored from five yards out to cut the lead to 22-15.
The tide seemed to be turning. The Bulldogs first big mistake, a fumbled exchange, allowed Bennett to pounce on the ball. Four plays later Brawner scored on a tough eight yard run. The kick from Kyler Dunn gave the Panthers their first lead 23-22, but it would not be for long.
Union Hill scored in two plays on a 25-yard run to retake the lead 30-23.
With three minutes to go before halftime, Saint Jo had just enough time respond on offense. Unfortunately, a couple of Panthers passes fell incomplete and a negative running play contributed to turning the ball over on downs at their own 25-yard line.
The Bulldogs took advantage, scoring on a short run to go up 38-23 heading into halftime.
Saint Jo had hope having come back from two scores down in the game, but it would need a strong start in the third quarter.
Union Hill got the ball first and zapped a bit of that hope away immediately, scoring on its first play, a 45-yard run, to push the lead to 46-23.
There was still plenty of time left, but stops in six-man can be harder to come by than touchdowns, especially against one of the top teams in the state.
Still the Panthers answered on their next drive. Getting a couple of big runs from Brawner moved the ball down into Bulldog territory. Jordan Reeves took a quick dive up the middle and scored untouched on a 10-yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 46-29.
Saint Jo got some hope for a comeback as Brawner recovered another botched Union Hill exchange on the next drive.
Unfortunately, the Panthers found themselves behind the sticks and could not complete a pass to get out of it as they turned the ball over on downs as the game moved into the fourth quarter.
The defenses really came alive as both teams exchanged turnover on downs to start the quarter. Saint Jo got another break as Reeves recovered another fumble.
The Panthers completed the only pass of the day as Cade Stevens found Dylan Brockman for 31 yards deep into Bulldogs territory. Unfortunately, Saint Jo could not capitatlize as it turned the ball over on downs. With a little more than a minute left and down three scores, the Bulldogs kneeled the ball down to run the clock out, winning 46-29.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the mid-week edition of the Bowie News.