The Springlake-Earth Wolverines’ varsity football team won their season-opener on Friday, 72-48, over the Whitharral Panthers.
With the win, the Wolverines improve to 1-0 overall on the season.
The Panthers struck first in the contest with a one-yard run, but the kick after was no good, leaving the score, 6-0.
Springlake-Earth Junior, Braxton Ethridge, connected with Dereck Rosalez for a 45-yard touchdown pass to tie the game, 6-6. On their next possession, he found Roel Fuentes for a 33-yard touchdown pass to put them up, 12-0.
Ethridge took it himself for a 10-yard score on the Wolverine’s next possession to make the score, 20-6, in the opening quarter of play. The Panthers would score on a 39-yard pass to stop the bleeding, but Springlake-Earth would answer the call, as Ethridge scored again, this time on a 20-yard touchdown run to extend their lead to, 26-14.
Whitharral would score once more to end the first quarter, with the Wolverines in front, 26-22.
In the second quarter, Tim Tanaro caught a 47-yard touchdown pass to get the scoring going in quarter number two and Ethridge followed it up with a 42- yard touchdown run to stretch their lead to, 38-22. The Panthers scored on a 10-yard run to close out the first half with the Wolverines in front, 38-28.
Keshan Holmes got in on the scoring to open the second half, punching it into the endzone on an eight-yard run. They converted the kick after to make the score, 45-28. The Panthers would respond, as they scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass and converted the kick after to cut the lead to, 45-36
Ėthridge kept the air raid going, as he connected with Trace Goodman on a 43-yard touchdown pass, but Whitharral would waste no time answering, as they returned a kick-off 50 yards for the touchdown to make the score, 51-42.
Springlake-Earth would end the third quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by Ethridge to make the score, 59-42, heading into the final quarter of play.
In the fourth quarter, Ethridge would punch in another one-yard touchdown run and connect with Tanaro for a 26-yard touchdown pass to push their lead to, 72-42. Whitharral would punch in a short touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but the Wolverines took the season-opener, 72-48.
Ethridge was 9-11 passing for 273 yards and five touchdowns; he also added 16 carries for 231 yards and five touchdowns. Tanaro had four catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns, while Goodman had two catches for 61 yards and one touchdown.
Rosalez had one catch for 45 yards and one touchdown, while Fuentes had one catch for 33 yards and one touchdown. Fuentes also had four carries for 38 yards. Holmes added seven carries for 24 yards and one touchdown, while adding one catch for 13 yards.
Defensively, Fuentes had six tackles, five assists, two sacks and two tackles for loss, while Davey Crandall added five tackles and three assists. Cain Tovar added one tackle, one sack and one tackle for loss, while Rosalez added five tackles and Goodman chipped in four tackles and three assists.
Evan DeLeon added an interception, while Ethridge and Holmes each recorded a fumble recovery.
The Wolverines will take on Rankin at Borden County on Friday at 7 p.m.