Enormous heart shown in final game

Thatcher Spiering, Saratoga senior, recovered a Wyoming Indian fumble on the second offensive play of the game and returned it for a touchdown to light the Panthers fire at their homecoming and last football game of the season.

The Saratoga Panthers (3-6) beat the Wyoming Indian Chiefs (1-8) with a final score of 39-6.

After securing a safe lead of 26-0 in the first quarter the Saratoga coaching staff began using, almost exclusively, underclassmen who have not had much playing time this season.

That is not to say that the seniors did not get their due. Spiering ran for two more touchdowns after his fumble recovery. He carried the ball only three times for 69 yards on his way to those two rushing scores. Morgan Rempel, a junior, also had a 15-yard scamper for a touchdown in the first quarter. Sophomore Tyler Shotwell ran the ball in for 6 points on a one-yard carry near the end of the first quarter. The final Panther touchdown was scored by freshman Trezdon Martinez in the third quarter. Rodrigo Escobedo, senior, managed three extra point kicks.

On the defensive side of the ball it was all underclassmen. Freshmen and sophomore players accounted for 44 of 55 tackles, two sacks, one broken-up pass and two of three fumble recoveries. Leading the underclassmen were Tyler Shotwell (11 tackles), Preston Dew (six tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery) and Tristan Grey (eight tackles).

Strutting his stuff, junior Allen Fairbanks took the ball on 45-yard romp into the end zone at the end of the third quarter.

Panthers head coach Scott Bokelman said he thought his team executed well on offense and defense. Once the score was high enough to essentially guarantee a win Bokelman started using his younger players to get them some time on the field and keep the score down. The Panthers only called running plays up the middle and stopped punting on forth down. Bokelman said there is no point to running up a score and it is disrespectful.

The Panthers coaches have worked all season to make sure their players show respect and make good decisions on and off the field.

Reflecting on the last game of the season, Bokelman said it is always tough to watch the seniors leave. He has coached some of his seniors since they were in sixth grade.

"It was a good season for us. I think we progressively got better ... became better football players and better people," Bokelman said of the Panthers footballers, adding, "If you look at the first game versus the last game we are 100 percent better."