Panthers return in 2nd half for victory

DELTA — Pine View used its secret weapon and a hard-nosed defense to knock off Delta 22-14 Friday night. Speedy Jesse Stott, a recent move-in from East High School, took a reverse handoff on a kickoff return and raced 95 yards for a touchdown, erasing an 8-0 Delta lead. The Panthers' defense allowed just 46 second-half yards to the Rabbits.

Mike Christensen and Austin Blake also scored for 2-0 Pine View.

The Rabbits led 8-0 at the half as Zach Nelson caught a 25-yard pass just inside the sideline with five seconds left before the break. Jesse Shiner, who threw the TD pass, ran the two-point conversion in for the 8-0 lead.

But Stott, who runs a 4.3 40, got the handoff on the opening kick of the second half and broke one tackle before sprinting the length and width of the football field.

"It was like our ace up our sleeves," Pine View Coach Ray Hosner said. "(Special teams) Coach Todd Shaw made the call and said let's do it."

After Stott's TD, Pine View took the lead with a 44-yard drive after a failed fourth-and-one attempt by Delta. Christensen went around the left end from the 26 for the lead and Riley Stephenson's extra point made it 15-8.

Delta pulled to within a point with 5:34 left in the third quarter when Ben Bryan took it in from four yards out, but Bryan was about an inch short on the two-point conversion try. The Panthers then took the eight-point edge after J.D. Wilcox caused a fumble and Blake capped a 65-yard drive with a 13-yard run.

"I didn't see anybody hang their heads after we fell behind at halftime," Wilcox said. "We just kept our chins up and got the job done in the second half."

The game featured six turnovers and only four penalties. Delta's last drive failed on fourth-and-one on a great play by Pine View middle linebacker Mark Croshaw.