Panthers maul Cougars on gridiron

The Saratoga Panthers (2-4) football team took advantage of a good match-up against Wind River (2-4) Thursday in Pavillion and came away with a 46-13 victory.

The Panthers' win was built on a solid running game led by senior Thatcher Spiering. Spiering had 258 yards rushing in 23 carries, averaging 11.2 yards per run and gaining six first downs. His efforts on special teams added 18 punt return yards and a 2-point conversion to Spiering's statistics. Junior Morgan Rempel ran the ball 16 times for a total of 68 yards.

Panthers head coach Scott Bokelman said that Spiering was running well, so they just stuck with him for most of the game. Bokelman also credits the offensive line for opening holes and holding their blocks.

Quarterback Rodrigo Escobedo completed one pass to Ben Fairbanks for six yards and a first down. However, Escobedo was only one for six passing. It was special teams and the running game that accounted for the Panthers 46 points at the end of the game.

After one fumble returned for a touchdown by the Cougars, sophomore Tyler Shotwell returned a Cougar kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown. Bokelman said that kickoff return in the first quarter helped the Panthers keep their momentum.

While the Cougars managed to put 13 points on the board, both touchdowns were the result of Panthers fumbles. The Saratoga defense did not allow a touchdown during the game.

The Panthers defense touted two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a blocked kick during the game in Pavillon. The Saratoga defense was a team effort. Standouts were Preston Dew, who had eight tackles and a sack; Rempel, who also had eight tackles, two for a loss; Matt Lincoln with six tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery; Alex Ziegler with six tackles, one sack and an interception; and Spiering who had seven tackles and also broke up one Cougar pass attempt.

Bokelman noted that junior Matt Lincoln really stepped up his game against Wind River.

The coach also said that Panthers are finally showing their game experience and the players are executing better than they have all season.

According to WyoPreps, the Saratoga-Wind River game did not do anything for the two teams. They are still tied for fifth in the 1A West conference, but it allowed Cokeville and Rocky Mountain to secure the final two playoff spots in the conference.

The next Saratoga Panthers game will be homecoming against Wyoming Indian. The kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday in Saratoga.