So close
4th-quarter Panther comeback eliminates Bulldogs from playoffs
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PARK CITY – During first-round action in the Montana State High School Association Class C eight-player football playoffs, the visiting Mission Bulldogs fell to the Park City Panthers, 34-24, on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs finished their 2019 campaign with an overall record of 8-2. It was their first playoff game since moving to the Class C format three years ago.
Midway through the first quarter, Bulldog senior defensive tackle Hayden Currie recovered a Park City fumble on the Panther’s six-yard line, and a few plays later, a Kellen McClure five-yard touchdown pass to Jedi Christy put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard and up 6-0.
With less than five minutes left in the second quarter and the score knotted, McClure once again connected with Christy for a 46-yard touchdown pass that put the Bulldogs up 12-6. A short time later, another Panther fumbled and a Currie recovery gave the ball back to the Bulldogs’ offense, and on the ensuing Mission possession, senior running back Troy Matt displayed his lightning-fast speed and outran a group of Park City defenders for a 60-yard touchdown that gave the Bulldogs an 18-6 first-half advantage.
With a little under two minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Panthers quickly moved the ball downfield and scored a touchdown. After a failed two-point conversion attempt by Park City, the Bulldogs’ lead was cut to 18-12 as the teams headed into the half-time break.
After the two squads traded possessions for most of the second half, Mission began to drive late in the third period, resulting in a 34-yard touchdown run by Isaac Dumontier that put the Bulldogs up 24-20.
Park City’s defense held the Bulldogs scoreless in the fourth quarter, while the Panthers offense found the end zone two more times for the 34-24 win.
