Panthers lose but show improvement

RANGELY — The Panther football team improved in a couple of areas last Friday against the 2A Coal Ridge Titans. The Panthers fell to the Titans 41-14, so they still have several areas to work on, but this was the best the team has looked this season.
Three areas stood out as solid improvements. First, the offensive line did a great job protecting the quarterback all night long. Kanden Brady had plenty of time to make throws and had a nice pocket to step into. This was done against a team that has normally had a high-pressure type of defense. The line is made up of three seniors, Michael Morton, Blake Mecham, and Nathan Pierce; and two juniors, Kindal Cushman and Logan Osborne. Brady was able to throw for 252 yards and could have had more. One long touchdown was called back because of a block in the back behind the play.
Rangely scored on two throws to Adam Dahl of 44 and 46 yards. Dahl finished with 140 yards receiving. Brady hit four receivers on the night. The passing offense was the second area of improvement for Rangely.
The third improvement was in passing defense. After giving up a 79-yard touchdown pass right off the bat, the secondary settled in. Coal Ridge was held to 90 yards after the first pass. It was fun to see our 5’ 7” corners defending their 6’ 3” and 6’ 8” receivers. The secondary was in position all night long and made it difficult for Coal Ridge to have a consistent passing attack.
The next action for the Panthers is tonight at home against Grand Junction’s JV team. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.