As if the Homecoming atmosphere wasn’t enough, the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers hosted Salida in a game that carried the tension of a postseason clash. A battle of conflicting styles took center-stage, as the quick strike Panthers offense contrasted with the Spartan methodical ground game, with each defense put to the test.
After trailing for most of the first half, the Panthers surged in front right before halftime behind the urging of their large home crowd, then held on in the final minutes to seal a vital victory over Salida, 34-27.
With the win, M-CHS jumps to 5-1 while sitting alongside Alamosa as the two remaining unbeaten teams in the Intermountain League after the opening two weeks of league play. Their winning streak improved to three in a row, while the Panthers also took their third straight meeting against the Spartans.
Panthers first-year head coach Tyler Worley knew coming into the contest the dangers that the Spartans posed, and those fears were confirmed in the opening minutes of the contest as the visitors drove down the field behind their multipronged rushing attack. Senior Spartan Wyatt Farney raced in from 11 yards to give Salida a 7-0 advantage three minutes into the game.
With as quickly as the Panthers can strike back, however, M-CHS showed no signs of early panic, and scarcely a minute later, M-CHS had a touchdown of their own. Senior tailback Tay Wheat, who surpassed both 1,000 yards rushing this season and 4,000 for his career in the victory, put together another vintage performance, slicing through the Salida defense for a 41-yard score to trim the deficit to 7-6.
After trading possessions, Salida struck again to build the lead, as quarterback Eli Schwarz found Fletcher Mattix for an uncharacteristic quick strike for the Spartans, who led 13-6. Not to be outdone, M-CHS countered just a couple plays later, as Wheat broke free from 65 yards to make it 13-12.
Right before half, the Panthers cemented their shift in momentum, as the special teams unit blocked a Spartan punt with just over a minute left in the second quarter. M-CHS cashed in, courtesy of a big Wheat burst that set the Panthers up at the 1-yard line. The senior added his third score with just seven ticks on the first half timer, and M-CHS took their first lead of the game to the intermission.
Two minutes into the second half, M-CHS continued their hot streak, as senior quarterback Colby McMillian connected with junior Parker Conrad for a 74-yard catch and run, giving the Panthers a 27-13 lead. However, Salida scored to close the margin to one score heading to the decisive final twelve minutes.
In the early moments of the fourth quarter, Wheat added his fourth score of the game, a 60-yarder to give the Panthers their largest lead of the game at 34-19. The margin appeared to be more than enough, as M-CHS would look to add three more on a field-goal attempt with five minutes left.
Salida blocked the kick, however, and returned it for a score, then got the ball back with three minutes left in the game with a chance to drive the field for a game-tying score. After pushing into Panthers territory with a minute remaining, the Panthers defense came up with the final say. Junior Wyatt Oliver collected a couple of big tackles for loss joining senior Brady Dale as a menace for Schwarz as the Panthers forced Salida to turn the ball over on their final heave.
A delighted home crowd filled with M-CHS alumnus savored the moment as the players could breathe a sign of relief and turn their focus to a battle for first place in the IML next week against Alamosa (4-2, 2-0 2A IML). Their 7 p.m. meeting with the Mean Moose on Friday, Oct. 18 will be available on local radio station KVFC 92.3 FM and 740 AM and on kvfcradio.com.
