Panthers roll past Eagles in 3A playoff opener, 52-20

COLBY — Shaking off a pair of road losses to finish up the regular season, the Concordia Panthers opened the postseason with a dominating 52-20 victory over the Colby Eagles Friday night.
Concordia had won its first six games of the season before falling to Riley County and Chapman in its final two games of Class 3A District 5 play.
Those two losses forced the Panthers to travel again for their playoff opener.
Getting a 68-yard touchdown run by Keyan Miller on the opening play from scrimmage, Concordia went wire-to-wire in knocking off Colby in the first round of the 3A playoffs.
“I think maybe we needed that, those couple of lumps, to kind of wake us up and open our eyes a little bit. Because they responded really well this week,” Concordia coach Jordan Echer said.
Concordia was the only team in 3A to pick up a road win in the first round of the playoffs.
With the win, the Panthers (7-2) advance to the regional round and will be on the road for the fourth consecutive week for a rematch with Riley County at 7:00 Friday night.
Riley County (9-0) handed Concordia its first loss of the season, 48-7, back on October 15.
The unbeaten Falcons, playing without senior quarterback Trey Harmison, needed a late touchdown to slip past Russell 18-15 in the first round.
Harmison rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns in Riley County’s win over Concordia.
The Panthers were averaging 438 yards of offense and 48 points through their first six games, but were limited to an average of 270 yards and 16.5 points in the losses to Riley County and Chapman.
Concordia, getting a huge game by Miller, got untracked again offensively against Colby.
Miller rushed for 214 yards on 20 carries with four touchdowns and caught three passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. He also ran in three two-point conversions.
“He (Miller) is a special football player. One, because he is extremely talented. Two, he might be one of the hardest working players I have ever been around,” Echer said. “Keyan had a huge game and finding different ways to get the ball in his hands helped.”
Concordia racked up 490 total yards, 358 rushing and 132 passing.
Miller set the early tone by racing 68 yards for a touchdown on the first  offensive play of the game and then running in the two-point conversion to put the Panthers on top to stay, 8-0.
The two teams exchanged punts and Colby, which finished up 4-5, got the ball on its own 25-yard line.
Backed up by two penalties, the Eagles were facing a third down and 37 when Hunter Vaughn tried to throw deep.
The pass was intercepted by Alexis Garcia, and Concordia got the ball on the Colby 46-yard line.
An 18-yard run by Cav Carlgren and a 26-yard pass from Carlgren to Miller gave the Panthers a first and goal from the 2-yard line.
Miller scored on the next play.
Cameron Cleveland ran in the two-point conversion to put the Panthers up 16-0 with 3:44 to play in the third quarter.
Colby would answer with a 66-yard scoring drive.
On a second down and 21, Zane Betz ripped off a 36-yard scoring run.
The Eagles failed on the two-point conversion attempt, and it was a 16-6 game 35 seconds into the second period.
A personal foul penalty on the kickoff set Concordia up on the Colby 45-yard line.
Miller had a 28-yard run on first down, but the Panthers were backed up by a holding penalty.
Concordia was facing a second down and 21 when Miller hauled in a short pass from Carlgren and went 25 yards for a score with 9:56 to play in the half.
Miller ran in the conversion to push the lead to 24-6.
Colby, getting a 50-yard run by Betz, went 75 yards in seven in seven plays and scored on a 16-yard pass from Vaughn to Bryce Myers.
Betz was stopped short on the conversion attempt, and the Eagles trailed 24-12.
Concordia countered with a 12-play, 68-yard touchdown drive.
Miller finished off the drive with a 2-yard scoring run with 47 seconds left in the half.
Carlgren ran in the conversion to make it 32-12.
Isaiah Rosales returned the second half kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown and Vaughn ran in the two-point conversion to pull Colby within 12 points, 32-30.
Concordia turned the ball over on downs on its first possession of the second half, but would force Colby to punt.
Stryker Hake finished off a 75-yard drive with a 52-yard touchdown run that gave Concordia a 38-20 cushion with 7:03 remaining in the third quarter.
Taking over on its own 29-yard line, Colby would pick up one first down.
Aidan Poore came up with a fumble by Tyler Voss and returned it for a Concordia touchdown.
Miller was stopped on the conversion attempt, but the Panthers led 44-20.
Poore would thwart Colby’s next drive by intercepting a pass thrown by receiver Casen Carroll on a trick play on the Concordia 19-yard line.
The Panthers would tack on one final touchdown on an 11-yard run by Miller with 10:58 left in the game.
Miller ran in the conversion to make it 52-20.
Poore would come up with his third turnover of the game when he intercepted a Vaughn pass in the end zone on Colby’s next possession.
Carlgren completed 6 of 10 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Hake carried the ball five times for 64 yards. Backup quarterback Braeden Primeaux gained 41 yards on five carries.