Aug. 21—PLATTE — The Platte-Geddes Panthers were able to overcome a slow start Friday night, as the defending class 9AA high school football champions held off Canistota-Freeman 16-8.
While the No. 1 ranked Panthers jumped out to an early lead in the first-half that was propelled by strong performances from running backs Grayson Hanson and Jackson Neuman, Canistota-Freeman grinded its way back late in the game with a 13-yard rushing touchdown midway in the fourth quarter.
But Platte-Geddes’ gritty defense halted the Pride from pulling off a late game heroic effort, pulling away with the win to open the season.
While Canistota-Freeman was producing some nice drives in the game propelled by running back Isiah Robertson’s speed in the backfield, turnovers haunted the Pride throughout the game. In the second-half, Canistota-Freeman got within scoring position twice, but the Panthers’ defense forced fumbles to keep the lead 16-0 to close out the third quarter.
The Pride came within one touchdown late in the fourth, but they couldn’t overcome the five turnovers that haunted them.
After scoring just one touchdown in the first-half of action, the Panthers’ new-look offense found its rhythm in the second half, as running backs Hanson and Neuman marched through the Pride’s defense.
Neuman produced 86 rushing yards on 18 carries in the game to lead the Panthers offense, making up for most of Platte-Geddes’ 183 yards on the ground. The senior running back put Platte-Geddes in position to score most of the night. While Neuman never found the end zone for a touchdown, the Panthers turned to Hanson at the goal line, as the junior running back found the end zone twice to give Platte-Geddes the win.
Hanson capped off a strong performance in the backfield as well, coming up with 67 yards on 15 carries.
The Pride couldn’t get much offense going in their air, as they ended the game with 84 passing yards. Platte-Geddes’ defense kept Canistota-Freeman’s Quarterback Tage Ortman in check, as he completed 9 of 20 passes for 84 yards in the game.
Despite the turnovers plaguing Canistota-Freeman, running back Noah Kleinsasser broke free to the outside, slipping past the defense for the Pride’s first touchdown of the game.
Robertson and Kleinsasser combined to rush for 132 yards in the game for the Pride, but their strong backfield play wasn’t enough to pull off an early season upset against the defending champions. While Canistota-Freeman entered Friday night’s matchup as the three-time defending champions in class 9A high school football, they moved up to class 9AA this season.
Platte-Geddes plays at White River on Friday, while Canistota-Freeman hosts Elkton-Lake Benton on Friday in Freeman.