The Pana Panthers showed flashes on both sides of the football Friday night, but Hillsboro’s rushing attack ultimately proved difficult to contain as the Hilltoppers handed Pana a 27-14 loss in the season opener at Pana High School.
The Panthers found success on the ground behind Jax Czajkowski, who broke free for a 28-yard rushing touchdown to help keep Pana within striking distance. Defensively, the Panthers also created opportunities, including recovering a Hillsboro fumble.
But as the game progressed, Hillsboro began to establish itself on the ground.
The Hilltoppers leaned on their rushing attack throughout the contest, with Elijah Pattens emerging as one of the key contributors. Pattens found the end zone on the ground as Hillsboro began building its advantage over the Panthers.
Pana’s special teams provided one of the defensive highlights of the night when Ace Henschen broke through and blocked an extra-point attempt following a Hillsboro touchdown, keeping points off the board and giving the Panthers an opportunity to remain within reach.
While Pana was able to generate positive plays, penalties also created difficulties for the Panthers’ offense. Three false-start penalties hurt Pana’s ability to consistently build momentum and sustain drives against the Hilltoppers.
Hillsboro continued to find success with its ground game, eventually producing one of the biggest plays of the night when Pattens broke free for a 48-yard run. The Hilltoppers’ ability to generate explosive plays on the ground helped them take control as the game moved along.
Pana continued to battle and finished the night with 14 points, but Hillsboro’s rushing attack and ability to capitalize on its opportunities allowed the Hilltoppers to maintain separation.
By the final whistle, Hillsboro had secured a 27-14 victory, sending Pana to a loss in its first game of the 2026 campaign.
For the Panthers, the opener provided both encouraging moments and areas to address moving forward. Czajkowski’s 28-yard touchdown showed Pana’s ability to create explosive plays of its own, while the Panthers’ defense forced a turnover and Henschen made his presence felt on special teams with the blocked extra point.
For Hillsboro, Friday night’s performance was the product of preparation that began well before the opening kickoff.
In a postgame interview, Pattens credited the Hilltoppers’ summer preparation and practices for helping put the team in position to succeed. He said Hillsboro entered Friday night believing the work it had put in throughout the offseason could translate into a strong performance once the season arrived.
That preparation showed as Hillsboro consistently turned to its running game to create opportunities and ultimately walked away from Pana with the 27-14 season-opening victory.
For Pana, Friday night marks only the beginning. With the first game now behind them, the Panthers will have an opportunity to build on the positives, clean up the mistakes and turn their attention toward the next challenge of the young season.
