The lights of Dad’s stadium shined down on the varsity football team as they lined up to kick off on their home field for the last time this season.   

The Cowboys received the ball to start, and their first possession ended in a long pass for a touchdown, giving them the early lead.   

“It was about staying calm,” defensive coordinator Greg Meyer said. “I think we were all very excited going into the game, but I think in just a matter of a couple plays we kind of froze.”   

With the ball back, the Panthers looked to tie the game, but the ball was intercepted, and the Cowboys were set up just outside the red zone. The Cowboys were held to a field goal, but they now led 10-0 with the first quarter coming to an end.   

“Veteran leadership is kind of what calmed everyone down, they didn’t freak out and start yelling at guys,” Meyer said. “It was just kind of like look its one play, let’s forget it and get back.”  

The offense got the ball back and began driving down the field as the defense regrouped on the sideline, where Meyer said the veteran leadership came into play.   

“We got off to a bad start; we just needed to pick stuff up, do our assignments correctly and just step up our game,” senior linebacker Sean O’Keeffe said. “We got everyone focused on the goal of the winning the game and moving on to next week.”  

With the threat of single elimination looming, the offense capped off their first drive, with a 16-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Tucker Gleason. The two-point conversion was then run in by senior running back Walter Wilbon III, making the score 10-8.   

Gleason passed for two more touchdowns, the first to Wilbon III and the second to senior wide receiver Leonard Parker, and the defense did not give up any more points before halftime. When the Plant High Band and Danceros took the field for their halftime performance, the scoreboard read 23-10.  

Putting up two more touchdowns after half the score was 36-10 when the Panther defense allowed a touchdown with just under three minutes to go in the game. They were able to hold on, however, and when the final second ticked off the clock, the varsity football team was moving on to the second round of the playoffs.   

“As a team, you have really big goals and dreams,” senior offensive lineman William Putnam said. “We just had to overcome this one if we wanted to go to the second and third round of the playoffs.”   

The next game will be a No.2 versus No.3 matchup when the varsity football team travels to No.2 Viera High school on Friday, Nov. 16.