Tom Ahrendt said one of the keys to success for the Park Rapids football team this season was to avoid making mistakes.
Despite not playing a perfect game, the Panthers managed to open the season with a victory Friday night at Vern Weekley Field.
The Panthers were able to overcome 10 penalties and four turnovers to edge Wadena-Deer Creek 14-8 in overtime.
After being stopped at the W-DC 1-yard line at the end of regulation, the Panthers took the opening possession in overtime to score the go-ahead touchdown.
Kevin Vaadeland's 3-yard run and Justin Peterson's 4-yard carry gave Park Rapids a third-and-goal at the 3. An offsides penalty pushed the Panthers back to the 8, but Vaadeland broke free on the next play to give Park Rapids a 14-8 lead.
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W-DC attempted to tie the game by marching to the 3, but the Panthers' defense held to preserve the win.
"I had higher expectations for our first game," said Ahrendt. "We didn't do a lot of things well, but we hung in there and were able to pull out the victory."
Park Rapids opened the game with an ideal scoring opportunity by recovering a W-DC fumble at the 27. However, a holding penalty forced the Panthers to punt.
W-DC mounted a 19-play, 79-yard drive on the ensuing series. A 16-yard run by Riley Snyder, a 2-yard gain by quarterback Donny Tabery on fourth-and-1 at the 40, and a 21-yard reception by Snyder led to a first down at the Park Rapids 29. Dylan Walsh intercepted a Tabery pass at the 1 on fourth-and-8 to end that threat.
The Wolverines were able to capitalize on a turnover when Vaadeland bobbled a snap on a punt. W-DC recovered at the Park Rapids 2.
On the next play, Cody Redfield plunged in for the score. Tabery's two-point conversion gave the Wolverines an 8-0 lead with :02 remaining in the first quarter.
Park Rapids countered with an 11-play, 68-yard scoring drive to tie the game. Kevin McMorrow rushed six times for 60 yards to set up a 1-yard quarterback keeper by Walsh. Vaadeland ran in the conversion and the game was knotted a 8-8 with 7:36 to play in the first half.
Snyder rushed twice for 22 yards to reach the Panthers' 38 on the next series, but the Wolverines were forced to punt.
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Neither team mounted a threat the rest of the half as the score remained tied.
Both teams traded punts and fumbles to start the third period before the Panthers mounted a threat. McMorrow rushed twice for 12 yards and Tucker Coborn hauled in a 38-yard pass to the W-DC 15. However, that pass play was negated by an illegal procedure penalty. Walsh's pass on the next play was intercepted and the Wolverines took over at the Park Rapids 46.
Park Rapids' defense held and forced another W-DC punt.
A 13-yard carry by Walsh and a 16-yard run by Peterson led to first down at the Panthers' own 40. W-DC took over by recovering a fumble at the 39.
A 12-yard gain by Snyder gave the Wolverines a first down at the Park Rapids 25. The Panthers' defense delivered again by recovering a fumble at the next play.
Each team exchanged punts before the Panthers threatened to win the game at the end of regulation.
The Panthers took over at their own 26 with 3:03 to play. McMorrow's 24-yard run led to a first down at midfield before a 13-yard catch by John Drury, a 6-yard run by McMorrow on fourth-and-2, a 16-yard run by Walsh and a 12-yard carry by McMorrow led to a first-and-goal at the 8. McMorrow rushed three times to reach the 1 before being stopped on fourth down.
W-DC won the coin toss to start overtime. Vaadeland's 8-yard TD run and Park Rapids' defensive stop on fourth down led to the win.
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The Panthers host East Grand Forks in a Heart O'Lakes Conference and Section 8AAA game. Kickoff at Vern Weekley Field is set for 7 p.m.
"We had a lot of mental breakdowns," said Ahrendt. "We have a lot of things to work on. We'll see how the kids respond this week."
W-DC
8 0 0 0 0 8
Park Rapids
0 8 0 0 6 14
SCORING
WDC-Redfield 2 run (Tabery run)
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PR-Walsh 1 run (Vaadeland run)
PR-Vaadeland 8 run (run failed)
