For the second time this season, the United Township Panthers suffered a heartbreaking defeat on the road, this time at Sterling, falling 27-26 in the Western Big 6 opener on Friday night. The Panthers outgained the Golden Warriors, 360 yards to 211, but special teams made all the difference in the game. Sterling’s Kaedon Phillips opened the scoring with an 80-yard punt return for TD in the first quarter, then did it again, from 42 yards out, to break a tie and put his team in the lead, 27-20, with 6:32 remaining. The Panthers answered with an 88-yard bomb from QB Christian Peterson to WR Cohen Parsons with 2:29 left, but the extra point kick was blocked, the second extra point UT failed to convert in the game.
Peterson was particularly outstanding for the Panthers. He completed 16 of his first 17 passes and finished 19-of-25 for 290 yards and three TDs, two of them in the second quarter to RB Isaiah Navarette (40 yards and 9 yards), as UT trailed 17-13 at the half. Peterson was named the Godfather’s Pizza Panthers Player of the Game.
Navarette compiled 93 yards total, rushing and receiving, while Parsons finished with 4 catches for 116 yards. For Sterling, Phillips totaled 3 TDs including a 5-yard TD reception from QB Drew Nettleton, who was 9-of-17 for 122 yards, 79 of those to Jimmy Wadsworth on 4 receptions. Sophomore RB Cobey Shipma carried 16 times for 69 yards.
The Panthers (1-2, 0-1 in WB6) host Geneseo (2-1, 0-1) next Friday, while Sterling (1-2, 1-0) travels to Galesburg (1-2, 0-0).