Myers Park High learns a tough lesson – but gets to keep playing
Sometimes we learn from our teachers. And sometimes we learn from experience.
The Myers Park High football team learned a lesson via the latter method Friday night.
Fortunately for the Mustangs, they’ll get another chance to put their knowledge to good use.
The fourth-ranked Mustangs blazed to a 20-0 lead in their 4AA playoff quarterfinal game against visiting Panther Creek, but needed a last-minute rally for a 27-21 victory.
Myers Park (9-0) will host second-ranked Vance (8-1) next Friday for the West Regional finals and a berth in the state championship game the following weekend. Vance is the defending 4AA state champion.
Mustangs’ coach Mark Harman said he warned his team at halftime that Panther Creek (8-1) would not quit.
Myers Park led 20-3 at the time, but the Catamounts had begun moving the ball effectively late in the second quarter.
“I told them at halftime, ‘If you think these guys are going to quit, you’re fooling yourselves,’ ” Harman said.
“Their whole season is on the line. They’re undefeated. They’re not going to quit,” Harman told his team.
But the Mustangs didn’t respond the way Harman had hoped.
They spent the first 23 minutes of the second half making a collection of mental and physical mistakes.
Panther Creek’s Jesse Powell jumped in front of a Myers Park receiver late in the third quarter, picked off a Lucas Lenhoff pass, and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. That cut the Mustangs’ lead to 20-9.
“I told Lucas that it wasn’t his fault,” Harman said, adding that a mental error by Mustang receivers allowed Powell to be in the right spot for the pick-six.
There were more mistakes, including a lost fumble and a mental error on a kickoff return.
The Mustangs picked off four passes from Panther Creek sophomore standout Amari Odom, but Odom managed to complete touchdown passes of 10 and 60 yards to Jonathan Streeter. The latter of those scores put Panther Creek ahead 21-20 with 2:21 remaining.
“The second half didn’t go the way we wanted it to go,” Harman said. “We didn’t execute properly. At this point of the season, anybody you’re playing is pretty good. Panther Creek took advantage of what we did.”
The Mustangs finally rebounded in the closing minute of the game.
Ayden Burkey returned the kickoff after Streeter’s second touchdown to near midfield. Lenhoff then completed a key fourth-down pass to Burkey at the Catamount 16, and a horsecollar-tackle penalty moved the ball to the 8. Two plays later, K’daron Redfearn ran 1 yard for the winning touchdown with 16 seconds left.
“We made the big plays when we needed to,” Harman said. “And so we get to play again next week, on our own field. That’s a big thing for us.”
THREE WHO MATTERED
Ayden Burkey, Myers Park: A junior wide receiver, Burkey returned a kickoff 35 yards in the closing minutes, giving the Mustangs good field position to start their game-winning drive. Then he caught a crucial fourth-down pass to keep the drive alive.
Jonathan Streeter, Panther Creek: A senior wide receiver and defensive back, Streeter caught touchdown passes of 10 and 60 yards in the fourth quarter, helping the Catamounts rally.
Camarion Thornton, Myers Park: Thornton caught touchdown passes of 24 and 70 yards.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ The game was loaded with mistakes. Panther Creek’s Amari Odom threw four interceptions, and the Catamounts lost two fumbles. Myers Park’s Lucas Lenhoff had a pair of picks, one returned for a touchdown, and the Mustangs lost two fumbles.
▪ Odom finished with 24-of-44 passing, for 293 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. Cameron Wurtsbaugh finished his high school career with seven receptions.
▪ Lenhoff finished with 12-of-24 passing for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The leading receiver was Thornton, with six receptions for 146 yards.
▪ Myers Park junior Major Byrd had a fumble recovery and an interception. For Panther Creek, junior linebacker Jake Ganoe had a fumble recovery and two tackles for losses.
▪ Harman said that if Redfearn had been stopped on his second-down run for the winning touchdown, the Mustangs had enough time to spike the ball to stop the clock, and then send out the field-goal unit for a winning kick. “We decided to run the ball, because we felt we had Panther Creek’s defense on its heels,” Harman said.
WHAT’S NEXT
Panther Creek’s spring season ends with an 8-1 record and the Triangle 4A Conference championship. Myers Park will host defending state 4AA champion Vance next Friday for the West Region championship.
Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle
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Panther Creek 0 3 6 12 – 21
Myers Park 13 7 0 7 – 27
MP – Camarion Thornton 24 pass from Lucas Lenhoff (Win Byerley kick)
MP – Jacob Newman 2 run (kick blocked)
MP – Thornton 70 pass from Lenhoff (Byerley kick)
PC – FG Trevor Vanauken 37
PC – Jesse Powell 51 interception return (kick blocked)
PC – Jonathan Streeter 10 pass from Amari Odom (pass failed)
PC – Streeter 60 pass from Odom (pass failed)
MP – K’daron Redfearn 1 run (Byerley kick)