Panthers drop Red Hawks in district matchup, 38-12

Spreading the wealth offensively, the Concordia Panthers were able to overcome five turnovers on its way to a 38-12 Class 3A District 5 win over Hiawatha Friday night at Harold M. Clark Stadium.
Concordia, in racking up 480 yards of offense, including 388 rushing, had 10 players handle the football by either running or catching it and four of them scored touchdowns.
With the win, the Panthers snapped a three-game losing skid and improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in district play.
“It is important because there is one team that doesn’t make the playoffs out of our district, so it is good to move us up a spot,” Concordia coach Jordan Echer said of the win. “And the other part was we were able to get our 21 points for the point differential, which is what they used for tiebreakers. Both of those are positive things.”
Concordia got a defensive stop on Hiawatha’s first possession of the game and got the ball on its own 21-yard line following a punt.
The Panthers picked up one first down, and Stryker Hake broke a 48-yard run that made it first and goal from the Red Hawks' 8-yard line.
Hake racked up 198 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns.
“I think the offensive line did a great of creating holes, and then once he (Hake) got through the hole he did a good job of making a cut or making a guy miss,” Echer said. “The offensive line gave him opportunities for five or six-yard plays and then he turned those into 40-plus yards.”
Caleb Hansen would cap off the 79-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown on third down.
Mason Eickmann ran in the two-point conversion to put Concordia up 8-0 with 5:53 to play in the first quarter.
Concordia forced a punt and had another long drive halted when Hiawatha intercepted a Braeden Primeaux pass.
Forcing a three and out, and the Panthers got the ball on the Red Hawks’ 38-yard line.
Concordia was able to overcome two penalties, and Hake would score on a 2-yard run with 5:52 to play in the first half.
Hansen ran in the conversion to make it a 16-0 game.
Concordia attempted an onsides kick, but it was recovered by Hiawatha at its own 49-yard line.
Ashton Rockey, the fourth quarterback used this season by the Red Hawks, had a tipped pass hauled in by Josh Smith for a 37-yard game.
Rockey scored on a 1-yard run six plays later.
The two-point conversion attempt failed, and Concordia led 16-6.
The Panthers’ next two offensive possessions would end with interceptions in Hiawatha territory.
Primeaux, who finished up 6 of 13 for 92 yards with four interceptions, had a pass picked off at the goal line on the final play of the first half.
Hansen returned the second half kickoff to the Hiawatha 45-yard line.
Concordia went 45 yards in six plays, and Dustin Sterrett scored on a 5-yard run.
Sterrett carried the ball eight times for 50 yards in the game.
Hake ran in the two-point conversion to extend the Panthers’ lead to 24-6 just 2:50 into the second half.
Hiawatha, after Connor Kettler intercepted a Primeaux pass, ended up with the ball on the Panther 24.
Smith hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass from Alex Pyle five plays later.
Pyle was stopped on the conversion attempt, and it was a 24-12 game with 2:30 left in the third quarter.
The Red Hawks would recover an onsides kick and got a 25-yard pass from Pyle to Kettler.
Concordia then recovered a Pyle fumble on its own 25-yard line.
Primeaux completed a 22-yard pass to Chayton Alquist-Pennell and Hake had a 24-yard run on the first two plays of the drive.
Francis broke a long touchdown run, but it was called back because of a holding penalty.
On the next play, Hake scored on a 39-yard run to put Concordia up 30-12.
The conversion attempt was no good.
Concordia would force a Hiawatha punt, but fumbled the ball back to the Red Hawks.
Hiawatha got to the Panther 27-yard line but was unable to convert on a fourth and six.
Hansen, who finished with 58 yards on eight carries in the game, had three carries for 36 yards as Concordia went 73 yards in seven plays.
Primeaux scored on a 4-yard run with just over three minutes remaining.
Hansen ran in the conversion to make it 38-12.
Primeaux completed passes for four different receivers in the game.
Alquist-Pennell had two catches for 40 yards and Payton Breese had two grabs for 20 yards.
The Panthers will travel to Clay Center for a district game on Friday night.
Clay Center, which had won its previous two games over Abilene and Hiawatha by a combined score of 119-14, fell 26-14 to Southeast of Saline last Friday and is now 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the district.