The Pana Panthers took control from the opening quarter and never looked back, using a dominant performance on both sides of the football to roll past North Mac, 55-6.
Pana built a 21-point lead in the first quarter and carried a commanding 41-0 advantage into halftime. Senior Derrek Ambrose was at the center of the Panthers’ fast start, contributing offensively, defensively and on special teams as Pana consistently turned opportunities into points.
The Panthers struck first with 8:42 remaining in the opening quarter. Quarterback Ryker Spracklen connected with Ambrose for a touchdown, putting Pana ahead 7-0.
Ambrose was involved again just a few minutes later. After Pana fumbled the ball near the goal line, Ambrose recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown, extending the Panthers’ advantage to 14-0 with 5:02 remaining.
Pana continued to establish its rushing attack late in the quarter. Cayden Durbin powered his way into the end zone with 2:33 remaining to give the Panthers a 21-0 lead.
The opening quarter also featured a big special-teams play from Ambrose. He blocked a North Mac punt, allowing Colton Stark to recover the football and give Pana another possession.
Ambrose continued his standout performance in the second quarter.
With 10:37 remaining before halftime, he rushed for a touchdown to extend Pana’s lead to 28-0. He found the end zone again at the 5:15 mark, breaking through multiple tackles on his way to his fourth touchdown of the first half and a 34-0 Panthers advantage.
His impact extended well beyond scoring. Ambrose also recovered a North Mac fumble, adding another takeaway to an already productive night.
Durbin scored his second rushing touchdown with 1:03 remaining in the half, pushing the lead to 41-0. The Panthers’ defense then produced another turnover when Jax Czaikowski recovered a fumble.
By halftime, Pana had scored six touchdowns while keeping North Mac off the scoreboard.
The Panthers continued to control the game after the break. Newt Campbell added a rushing touchdown with 8:12 remaining in the third quarter, extending the advantage to 48-0.
Later in the period, Jayse Prather joined the scoring effort with a rushing touchdown of his own. His score with 42 seconds remaining in the third gave Pana a 55-0 lead heading into the final quarter.
North Mac avoided the shutout late in the fourth when Callen Barham — listed as No. 39 on the North Mac roster — rushed for a touchdown with 1:32 remaining. Pana blocked the ensuing extra-point attempt, keeping the final margin at 55-6.
While several Panthers contributed to the victory, Ambrose delivered one of the night’s most complete performances. The senior accounted for four touchdowns, including a receiving score, a fumble recovery in the end zone and two rushing touchdowns. He also blocked a punt and recovered a North Mac fumble.
Durbin added two rushing touchdowns, while Campbell and Prather each found the end zone on the ground. Spracklen supplied Pana’s passing touchdown on his connection with Ambrose.
Pana’s defense and special teams were just as important to the decisive result. The Panthers recovered multiple fumbles, blocked a punt that Stark recovered and prevented North Mac from scoring until the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
From its 21-point opening quarter to a defense that repeatedly created extra opportunities, Pana controlled the game from beginning to end. The Panthers carried a 41-point lead into halftime and continued adding to it after the break, finishing off a convincing 55-6 victory over North Mac.
