The Rock Port defense stopped the Panthers at the goal line to end the game and claim the win. (Mound City News photo)

The Rock Port Blue Jays traveled to Mound City Friday, October 21, to take on the Panthers in the final regular football game of the season. The outcome was what everyone from Rock Port was expecting but Mound City didn’t just give it to the Blue Jays.

Rock Port would receive the opening kick-off to start the game. The Jays would move the ball down the field to the six yard line before being stopped by the Panthers on a fourth down and four yards to go. Mound City would take over and drive the ball the length of the field to score with 41 seconds left in the first quarter.

The second quarter went scoreless despite two touchdowns by quarterback Aidan Burke. Both were called back for a penalty. The Jays went into halftime down 0 to 6.

Mound City would get the ball to start the second half and three plays later take it 45 yards up the middle for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good and the Panthers led by 14 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Jays’ defense would hold the Panther offense a couple of times on a fourth and long to keep the Panthers out of the end zone.

It wouldn’t be until late in the third quarter before Rock Port would find the end zone on a two yard dive by Micah Makings. This was set up by a big pass on a third and 15 from Burke to Brecken Kelly, giving the Jays good field position inside the 30 yard line. The two-point conversion was no good making the score 6 to 14 Mound City. The Panthers would waste no time in moving the ball down the field and with the momentum  going into the fourth quarter it seemed like Mound City was going to score. On a second and seven Mound City’s quarterback fumbled the ball on the snap and Corbyn Jakub would come up big with the fumble recovery. Two plays later from their own 35 yard line Burke would roll out to his left for a pass, but would tuck and run the ball down to the Panthers’ six yard line. Burke would hit Kelly on a crossing pattern for the touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good making the score 14-12 Mound City. With just over six minutes left in the game Rock Port would put together a drive with runs by Makings and Phillip Herron and a big catch and run by Jakub to put the Jays in scoring position. Quarterback Aidan Burke would punch it in to bring the score to 14 to 18 Rock Port. The two-point conversion was no good. With just under two minutes Mound City would take the ball down to the one yard line and on a fourth and one with three seconds on the clock, tried to run up the middle. The Jays’ defense held on to win the game.

The Blue Jays will have next week off before traveling to Worth County November 4 to start their District action.