The Saint Jo Panthers beat county rival Forestburg on the road Friday night.
The Panthers won 54-8, with the game getting called with 6:47 left to play in the fourth quarter due to the mercy rule.
Saint Jo came into the game following its first loss against Crowell. The Longhorns were hoping they could get their first win of the season after only playing a quarter and half the previous week due to lightning.
While the Panthers had dominated the previous four games the two teams had played together, Forestburg was hoping this year would be different. The Longhorns returned an older, experienced group while Saint Jo’s roster was mostly filled with players new to varsity football until this season.
The Panthers got a boost from one of its few returning varsity players when Devin Stewart took the opening attempted onside kick back for a touchdown to open up the game.
After a stop on defense for Saint Jo, the Panthers then scored on their first drive with Lee Yeley scoring on a short run to put them up 14-0 heading into the second quarter.
Despite the Longhorns next drive stalling as well, they were not just going to roll over. Forestburg’s defense got its first stop when it recovered a fumble early in the second quarter.
Saint Jo responded with Wade Lucas recovering a fumble right back shortly after to give the Panthers the ball back.
After both team’s offenses stalled on back-to-back drives followed, Saint Jo got back into the end zone when Stewart scored on a 10-yard run to make it 22-0.
With time running out before halftime, the Panthers’ defense got another stop and the offense took advantage. Yeley found Stewart open for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 1:11 left to play.
Saint Jo then recovered the onside kick to get another possession. Yeley located Stewart again, this time scoring on a 22-yard touchdown pass to give the Panthers a 34-0 lead heading into halftime.
It looked like the end was coming fast when Saint Jo’s Wyatt Lucas intercepted a pass to start the third quarter. The Panthers were backed up near their own goal line when they fumbled the ball away to Forestburg’s Hayden Lawson.
Recovered at Saint Jo’s five-yard line, Forestburg got into the end zone when Jesus Sanchez found Kayden Dill open for a five-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 34-8.
The Longhorns kept up the momentum briefly when their defense got another turnover when Nathan Payne intercepted a pass on the next drive.
Unfortunately for Forestburg, the offense could not take advantage and turned the ball over on downs deep in the Panther’s territory.
Saint Jo got out of its rut and saw Stewart connect with Wade Lucas on a 45-yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers up 42-8.
After Saint Jo’s defense got another stop, the Longhorn’s defense forced their third turnover of the quarter when Sanchez intercepted a pass. It did not lead to anything as the game moved to the fourth quarter.
With the Longhorns fighting to try and avoid getting the mercy rule, the Panthers looked to strike.
Yeley got loose for Saint Jo on 59-yard run for a touchdown. The Panthers Wyatt Lucas recovered the ensuing onside kick before Stewart found Wade Lucas for a five-yard touchdown to end the game.
Saint Jo won 54-8.

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