Kane Johnson heads downfield on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023, at Hucker Field in Harper during the Eagles’ victory over the previously undefeated Hornets. Johnson leads the Eagles into the 1A 6-man state semifinals Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, against Prairie City/Burnt River.

HERMISTON — There’s something about small-town football that brings a community together.

Joseph and Prairie City/Burnt River have that in common, and both teams will feel the love when they play in the 1A 6-man state semifinals Saturday, Nov. 18, at Kennison Field.

“We noticed it at our home game this last Friday,” Joseph coach Damian Huff said. “The home crowd was incredible. That’s what I love about small towns like this. It’s a lot of fun. I think we will have a good crowd Saturday — 2½ hours is nothing for these guys.”

Panthers coach Nick Thompson said the team hasn’t had much success the past few years, but the culture is changing and the fans have responded.

“At this point, I know there are quite a few families going,” Thompson said. “The school is taking a couple of rooter buses and trying to get as many people over there as we can. Cool thing about a small town is everyone rallies behind you. Feels good to know you have that behind you.”

The top-ranked Panthers (7-1) have made two trips to the championship game, losing in 1967 (Class B) and 1990 (1A). They reached the quarterfinals last year, but lost to Triangle Lake 52-26.

“A couple of old guys are wanting us to get past the semifinals,” Thompson said. “They still have that bad taste in their mouth. We don’t have a state football board at our school. The guys really want one. They have been chasing it for four years.”

This season, the Panthers beat Joseph 18-6 the second week of the season. The Eagles have not lost since.

“They are a super dynamic team,” Thompson said. “They have a lot of weapons. They like to throw the ball and that presents problems for a lot of defenses. We got them 18-6, but things change along the way and kids change and develop. I know they wanted a rematch with us. It’s always a good game. Just looking forward to seeing a lot of good athletes on the field at one time.”

While the Eagles like to throw, the Panthers prefer the run, with a bit of passing and a hint of misdirection.

Maison Teel, a first-team all-league running back, has amassed more than 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns this season. He led the league in rushing.

“He is a super fast kid,” Thompson said. “And we have some size. We have some athletic kids. We try not to be a team that just runs the football.”

Quarterback Wes Voigt is under center for the Panthers, and does more than throw the ball.

“The 6-man game presents some challenges,” Thompson said. “The quarterback cannot run across the line of scrimmage. Wes can certainly run when he gets the opportunity. We also have him as a kick returner. We have put a lot on him. He is a great leader and helps me manage the game. He’s an ultra-competitor.”

The Panthers are coming off a 47-0 victory over North Lake in the quarterfinals. The defense limited the Cowboys to just 24 yards of offense.

Trey Brown, the league’s defensive player of the year, leads the defense, along with Cody Reagan, who was named to the first team on both sides of the ball.

“Trey is the leader of our team,” Thompson said. “He’s extremely intelligent, has a high football IQ, and has been voted most inspirational on our team the past two years in a row. He’s a kid who doesn’t come off the field. We have a lot of big, strong kids. Cody is hard for teams to handle.”

The Panthers will arrive in Hermiston on Friday and will have an early afternoon practice on the turf.

“It’s the first time ever that some of these kids have been on turf,” Thompson said. “That’s one of the exciting things about making it this far. I remember that from my high school (Imbler) days. They have worked hard to get here.”

While the Panthers have had a playoff drought, the Eagles (8-1) lost in the first round of the 1A playoffs in 2011, and lost 48-36 to Imbler in the 2008 1A championship game.

Fans will be treated to a fast-paced game when Joseph has the ball.

“We like to throw the ball,” Huff said. “I come from an 11-man, no-huddle offense. Six-man opens itself up to that. You have an open field and fast kids. I like quick passes and deep passes. It’s harder to defend if I can spread the field out and keep them guessing.”

Kane Johnson and Zander Walker take care of the quarterback duties, and they help offer different looks for the Eagles.

“Kane is our primary quarterback, while Zander is a little more mobile,” Huff said. “Zander is our RPO guy. When he commits to run, he will lower his shoulder and take a hit. Kane is one of our bigger guys and he will lead block. In six-man, everyone has to do everything.”

Joseph beat Eddyville 44-6 in the quarterfinals, getting three touchdown passes from Johnson.

The Eagles do run the ball, and have a trio of players — Gavin Russell, Jaxon Grover and Jesse Larison — who rotate to keep fresh legs on the field.

“Gavin is a power back,” Huff said. “He lives in the weight room, is our nose guard and he’s also a wrestler. He runs over people and is pretty fast. Jaxon is a wide receiver, but I mix him in there too. He’s not big, but he is elusive. Jesse, I give him the ball and he runs hard. They are the three fastest guys on the field.”

Defensively, the Eagles have given up just 98 points in nine games.

“If you look at our schedule, half of those points were the first two games of the year,” Huff said. “Our defense is tough. The way they talk to each and make adjustments, it’s them talking about what we see. We have the boys watch film on Mondays. We ask them what they see. Our six boys out there have to be one of the toughest defenses out there. They hit hard.”

The Joseph coach staff also spends time on proper tackling.

“We go back to the fundamentals,” Huff said. “You go against teams that like to hit, but they don’t have technique. Our assistant coach, John DeWitt, is a former rugby player, and he works with them. He teaches them to stay low. We tackle from the waist or lower.”

After losing to the Panthers earlier in the year, the Eagles are looking to even the score.

“They are so successful with the run and they are successful with the play-action pass,” Huff said. “If we can limit their success in the run game, it will limit what else they can do.”