The Bowie Jackrabbits lost a tough game at Paradise on Friday night in a game it needed to have.
The Panthers won 31-20 as the Jackrabbit could not close the distance in the fourth quarter, despite cutting the lead down to what was once a double-digit deficit to one point in the third quarter.
Bowie moved the ball on its first drive well, but stalled in Paradise’s territory and turned the ball over on downs. The Panthers took advantage only a few plays later as busted coverage allowed them to hit on a 70-yard touchdown play to go up 7-0.
The two teams exchanged defensive stops, but the Jackrabbits offense was driving again and in Paradise’s red zone as the second quarter started.
Quarterback Colby Miller then hit big receiver Troy Kesey on a five-yard slant route for a touchdown to cut the lead to 7-6.
Paradise responded on its next drive. Casey Nocks took a jet sweep around the right side for 59 yards and touchdown to up the Panthers lead to 14-6.
Paradise then seized on a mishap from Bowie.
A mishandled snap on a punt from the Jackrabbits’ 22 yard line gave the Panthers a shortened field as they scored on a short touchdown run to go up 21-6 with four minutes to play before halftime.
Bowie’s offense then drove down the field also while battling the clock. The Jackrabbits caught some luck at the end. Miller’s pass down the middle was tipped, but receiver Kynan DeMoss adjusted to haul in a spectacular 16-yard touchdown catch.
It gave the Jackrabbits some life as it cut the lead to 21-12 heading into halftime.
Bowie started the second half with new life. Paradise got the ball first, but a fumble within the first minute of action was recovered by Hunter Duke near midfield.
A few plays later Jackrabbit running back Matthew McCarty found a seam and scored on a 46-yard run.
Despite a penalty pushing them back 13 yards, Bowie then converted on the two-point conversion to cut the lead to one-point 21-20 with most of the second half still to play.
Unfortunately, that momentum and good feeling was short lived for the Jackrabbits. Paradise responded a minute later with a 49-yard touchdown pass up to extend its lead to 28-20.
The teams spent the rest of the quarter with both defenses putting stops to drives with turnovers on downs deep in the opponents’ territory.
Bowie’s drive stalled at Paradise’s 14-yard line, but with the team’s kicking game proving to be unreliable, the team came away with no points as the game moved to the fourth quarter.
The Panther offense looked like it was going to stall again in the Jackrabbits territory after taking more than four minutes off the clock in the quarter. Instead Paradise kicked a 32-yard field goal to make the game a two score game.
Bowie would need to score fast so it could have a chance to get the ball back. Instead the offense turned the ball over on downs at the Panthers 33-yard line on its next possession.
The defense did eventually get the ball back after a punt, but the ball was on the one-yard line with only two minutes left.
Still, the Jackrabbits moved the ball near midfield before an interception off a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage sealed the win for Paradise.

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