RANGELY I The Panther football team lost its first game of the season to the Rams from South Routt County (Soroco) last Friday on Yaeger Field and this week they will travel to Julesburg in the northeast corner of the state to play the defending state champion Sedgwick County Cougars Saturday.
“We had seen the Rams at camp this summer and we knew they were a big and talented team this year,” Rangely head coach Paul Fortunato said of his team’s league opponent.
According to Coach Fortunato, the Rams jumped ahead quickly, scoring a touchdown on their first drive, then the Panthers answered with a touchdown of their own, on their first possession, but “after that, it was all Rams the rest of the night.”
Rangely lost the game 46-6.
Senior Troy Allred carried the ball 22 times, gaining 67 yards, and scored the Panther’s only touchdown of the game.
Tristan Moore ran with the ball 12 times and gained 55 yards, while Tytus Coombs averaged two yards on each of his nine carries.
Allred also led the team on defense, intercepting a pass, recovering a fumble and recording five tackles, the same number of tackles as Coombs and Zach Sulser made. Mike Sheppard was in on six tackles, while Drew Brannan, Grady Nielsen and Stetson Cudo each recorded four tackles and Brannan caught a pass from C.J. Lucero for 51 yards.
The Panthers will travel across the state and put their 2-1 record on the line against the defending state champion Cougars, who currently have the same record as the Panthers.