PRAIRIE CITY — The Prairie City football team’s playoff run ended in a 51-48 loss to Alsea on Saturday, Oct. 30, closing the books on a strong season that saw the Panthers dominate the High Desert League with a 6-1 record.

Heading into postseason play Saturday, Prairie City and Alsea had both won five games in a row, and both teams won each of those by double digits.

The Panthers started out flat on Saturday but clawed their way back from an 18-point deficit to make it close at the end, Prairie City coach Nick Thompson told the Eagle in a Monday interview.

Late in the game, Alsea returned a Panthers kick to roughly the 50-yard line. The referee called pass interference on the Panthers’ safety, which led to a 20-yard penalty and better field position for Alsea, Thompson said. Junior safety Doyal Lawrence, in a heads-up defensive play, swatted away a pass in midair, but the ball ricocheted off a couple of his teammates and ultimately dropped into the hands of Alsea’s center in the end zone.

After Alsea’s touchdown, the Panthers found themselves eight seconds from elimination. They put the ball in the hands of Cole Teel, the team’s top offensive threat and the Offensive Player of the Year in the High Desert League. Thompson said Teel made a good run but came up short of a game-winning touchdown.

Thompson, in his second year at the helm of Prairie City’s football team, was named the league’s Coach of the Year but tried to keep the award a secret when the honor was announced. While the coaches and players were happy when they heard about the award, he told them the Panthers’ success was a collective effort, from the assistant coaches to his players, the school superintendent, the athletic director and the community.

In a Monday conference call, Teel, who dominated on yards rushed in the league, shared Thompson’s sentiment, pointing out that the offensive line and the entire team made it possible for him to have a stellar season.

Panther football is a group effort, according to Thompson.

“Unfortunately,” Thompson said, “one name gets put on an (award), but it’s a group effort always here.”