HARPER – Confidence, teamwork and responding to adversity allowed the Prairie City football (2-0) team to skid past Harper 30-18 on Sept. 21.

“We just kept battling out there,” said Prairie City Head Coach Scott Hoberg. “This one was a great team effort.”

When the Hornets punched in their second unanswered touchdown with five minutes remaining in the first quarter to make it 12-0, Hoberg took his disgruntled team aside and urged them to pick up their intensity.

“I told them ‘Congratulations,’ now you’ve got yourself a football game,'” said Hoberg. “And they really responded and kicked it into gear.”

Hoberg changed the Panthers’ defensive strategy by adding another lineman to halt the Hornets’ running attack.

“Our offensive and defensive lines stepped up and did a good job,” said Panther quarterback Dylan Hendriksen. “We came out rather slow and some of that was because they’re a good team. But we picked it up.”

“I told them it was up to them to get some stops now,” he said.

The Panthers were unable to score in the first quarter despite 82 yards rushing by injured tailback Colton Schultz, but the Panthers’ offense exploded in the second with 16 unanswered points highlighed by a 20-yard touchdown pass from Hendriksen to take a 16-2 halftime lead.

“We got things going in the second quarter,” said Hendriksen. “I give them credit, though, they’re a quick team. They’re good. They have a linebacker that thew me on the ground a couple times.”

Hendriksen said he suffered a minor concussion in the game, but will play Sept. 28 against Jordan Valley.

In the third, the Panthers scored on their opening drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Hendrickson to senior receiever George Wickhorst to make the score 24-12 after a successful two-point conversion.

On the ensuing kick-off, the Panthers pinned the Hornets on their own 8-yard line, and that’s when the defense took over.

After holding the Hornets to 3rd and 14, senior Eric Teel broke through the defensive line on the next play, forcing Harper’s quarterback to fumble and recovering the ball in the end zone for a Panther touchdown.

“That was a huge play for us and a great effort from Eric (Teel),” said Hoberg.

“We pinned them pretty deep in their own territory and he went back to make a long pass and I hit him on top to make him fumble,” said Teel, who was the Panthers’ defensive player of the game last week in their win at Harper. “We really got things going after they scored those two quick touchdowns on us.”

The score at 30-12, the Panthers defense buckled down for the rest of the game, only allowing the Hornets 40 second-half yards and eight points on a touchdown with six minutes remaining in the game.

Hendriksen ended the game 4-of-7 passing for 46 yards and two touchdowns. Schultz was the leading rusher with 82 yards, and Cole Winegar led the Panthers with 10 unassisted tackles.

Next up, the Panthers will host the Jordan Valley Mustangs at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, in Prairie City. The Mustangs (0-2) are coming off a 62-0 loss to Burnt River last week.

“We’ll be pumped up and ready for our first home game,” said Teel.

Injury report: Panther running back Colton Schultz is nursing an undefined leg injury and is expected to sit out practice all week. Hoberg doesn’t know if the junior will play in the Panthers’ home-opener against Jordan Valley.