By Jeff Johncox
Watch Slide Show
Earlier this week, Norman North coach Lance Manning opened his e-mail to find taunting messages from Putnam City North players.
The Panthers claimed to be unstoppable, that they would come to Norman and hand the Timberwolves their first loss of the season.
Well, Friday, North celebrated homecoming by sending P.C. North back to northwest Oklahoma City with its prophecy unfulfilled after a 34-26 victory.
“They’re a good football team,” Manning said. “They’re ranked No. 7 for a reason. They’re tough and it was a district game, a big win for us.”
North was off its game early. The Panthers held the ball for most of the half and racked up 104 rushing yards before the break. They even led 13-10 going into the locker room, marking the first time North has trailed at the half.
P.C. North quarterback Hunter Frantz was a thorn in the T-Wolves’ side, and he and running back Josh Booker took turns coming up with big plays.
A muffed punt by North’s Jamar Harrison and an interception by Tyler Tettleton led to both the Panthers’ first-half touchdowns and P.C. North’s spread-option offense that nickel-and-dimed its way to scoring opportunities kept the T-Wolves’ defense on the field.
“We just came out being dumb,” North nose tackle Clay Girdner said. “That’s the only way I can describe it. We knew what they were doing. We’re used to seeing it. We just had to find the angles and stop them.”
“It was frustrating,” Manning said. “I don’t think our defense played very well in the first half.”
Tettleton ran for North’s only first-half touchdown and kicker Bryce Eeasley got to show a lot of leg when he nailed a 54-yard field goal.
But that was it before the break.
In the locker room, Manning challenged his players to come out strong.
They responded, scoring on their first possession of the second half on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tettleton to Nyko Symonds. Beau Blankenship then found the end zone and North was ahead 24-13 and on a roll.
“I thought we came out lethargic, playing lazy,” Manning said. “They came out playing to win. We responded after the half, though. We got it done.”
Things got messy in the second half, and the two teams combined for 163 yards on 20 penalties.
Hayden Dupell had the big play of the second half when he intercepted Frantz at the North 49-yard line, bringing it down inside the 10 to set up Blankenship’s score.
Blankenship, who was visibly in pain due to an injured left shoulder, finished with 149 yards rushing on 23 carries.
The T-Wolves’ Josh Norton also caught a touchdown.
P.C. North had a couple of opportunities to make things really interesting. Frantz ran for two fourth-quarter scores, including one with 13 seconds remaining, and the Panthers almost got ahold of each of the onside kicks that followed.
North’s Kyle Wormington made good plays on both kicks to seal the victory.
“This was a very tough game,” Manning said. “It was ugly. I would have liked to have played better, but heck, I’ll enjoy the win.”
North is on the road next Thursday at Moore.
Jeff Johncox
366-3535
jjohncox@normantranscript.com
