Panthers upset Lions in OT

EUREKA — The Eureka Lions had the answers for upset-minded Boulder until they didn’t Saturday, falling 33-32 to the Panthers in overtime in the State B football quarterfinals.

The difference was a failed two-point conversion pass, after Jonus Holm scored on a 2-yard run to answer an overtime 10-yard burst by Boulder’s Jack Johnson.

The Lions called time and went for two, but an illegal motion penalty negated a game-winning conversion run. Their second attempt, a pass from the 8-yard line, fell incomplete.

Boulder, 7-4, advanced to a semifinal game at Manhattan next Saturday. Eureka ended up 9-2.

The Lions jumped ahead 14-7 on two TD passes from AJ Truman to Tristan Butts covering 74 and 10 yards, but the Panthers — with freshman quarterback Tyzer Zady throwing for 237 yards and three touchdowns — wouldn’t go away. Zodys’ 44-yard TD pass cut the gap to 14-13 at the half; Johnson’s first TD run, a 5-yarder, tied it 20-all.

Caden Pecora’s second touchdown run put Eureka up 26-20 with 8:33 left in the game; Boulder had two possessions from there, the latter with 2:39 to play. 

Zody guided the Panthers 69 yards, converting a fourth-and-8 along the way, and capped it with a scrambling throw from his 20 on first-and-goal from the 6-yard line. Parker Wagner made a diving catch in the end zone to tie the game with 19 seconds remaining. 

Then Boulder missed the PAT, setting up overtime.

Butts had two interceptions as well as two TD receptions in a wild first quarter. The senior caught five passes for 104 yards, giving him 1,002 yards on 37 receptions for the season. He had 13 scoring passes this season and finished with 19 for his career.

Pecora had a huge game: 239 yards on 29 carries, putting him at 1,004 yards for the season. He also intercepted a pass. The Lions ran for 370 yards and gained 483 total. 

Boulder    7    6    7    6    7    -    33

Eureka    14    0    6    6    6    -    32

B — Marcus Lee 43 pass from Tyzer Zody (Hunter Stevens kick)

E — Tristan Butts 74 pass from AJ Truman (Timothy Schmidt kick)

E — Butts 10 pass from Truman (Schmidt kick)

B — Cody Schneiderhan 44 pass from Zody (kick failed)

E — Caden Pecora 14 run (kick failed)

B — Jack Johnson 5 run (Sevens kick)

E — Pecora 3 run (run failed)

B — Parker Wagner 6 pass from Zody (kick failed)

B — Johnson 10 run (Stevens kick)

E — Jonus Holm 2 run (pass failed)