A pack of disgruntled Panthers take the field against Pen Argyl.

The game was expected to be closer. Pen Argyl–according to some–was supposed to set the tone and give the Panthers a fight on their “Hill.” The Green Knights implied they were in the same class as the Panthers this year. This “new” 2016 Panther football team was assumed to be average. Maybe the outcome should have been different this time around, but it was not. The Panthers traveled to Pen Argyl and “mercy-ruled” the Green Knights in the third quarter yesterday along the way to a 42-7 victory. The Panthers improved to 2-0 and the Green Knights dropped to 1-1.

Hogs in waiting. — A Panther defense ready to pounce.

The Saucon Valley Panthers received the opening kickoff and needed only three offensive plays to get on the scoreboard. On 3rd & 4, senior quarterback Brandon Holub went “boot right” and found slot receiver Alstan “Primetime” Wolfe running away from the defensive coverage on a deep crossing route. Holub threw a strike and hit Wolfe in stride. “Primetime” galloped 65 yards for a TD only two minutes into the game. Josh Snead’s extra point was good for an early 7-0 Panther lead.

The Green Knights responded with a 3-yard touchdown plunge by Logan Sterner. The score was set up by a curious call by the officials in which Panther junior cornerback Zach Petiet appeared to have intercepted a Green Knight pass on 4th & 3 from the Panther 36. Petiet made his grab at the 13 yardline in front of the Pen Argyl bleachers. However, the Pen Argyl receiver was inexplicably awarded possession even though Petiet looked to be down by contact. Pen Argyl was able to punch the ball in and make it 7-7 with 9:03 remaining in the first half.

After an early score Pen Argyl had very little room to run. — After an early score, Pen Argyl had very little room to run.

The Panthers, of course, were not thrilled by the inhospitable treatment they were receiving on “the Hill” and in ill-temper went to work. Saucon Valley went into party-crash mode and seemed to have stopped the Green Knights dead in their tracks.

From the mid-way point of the second quarter, it was lights-out for the Green Knights. The Panther defense turned stingy and only surrendered three first downs the rest of the contest; the first not coming until four minutes remaining in the game. Saucon senior Dino Zaharakis from his defensive inside-linebacker position even added a 55-yard “scoop and score” with 3:46 left in the third quarter to put more Panther points on the board.

The Panthers making final arrangements to euthanize the Green Knights.

The offense continued to move the ball, gobble up yardage and score points. Behind the Hogs, Nate “Bulldog” Kehs powered and dodged his way to a 42-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Kehs finished the game with 100 yards on 13 carries.

Brandon Holub ended his day throwing two more touchdown passes: one, an 8-yard dart to sophomore tight end Patrick Morrissey in the back of the end-zone near the end of the second quarter; the other, a 34-yard sideline fade to Alstan Wolfe half-way through the third quarter. Holub finished the day completing four of his six passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns. Wolfe had another impressive day snagging his two receptions for 89 yards. Both of Wolfe’s catches were touchdowns.

Saucon Valley junior Alstan Wolfe finds the end zone .......Again. — Saucon Valley junior Alstan Wolfe finds the end zone…..again!

Saucon Valley’s final score was courtesy of Zach “Lightning” Petiet, who found a seam off the Hogs’ left side and hit it for six. With Petiet’s score and Snead’s extra point in the third quarter, the plug was officially pulled on Pen Argyl. The 35-point margin kickstarted the “mercy-rule” clock. Any hopes of the Green Knights putting up a fight with the “new” Panthers were virtually put to rest. It was over.

The Panthers took “the hill” yesterday and continued their winning ways in convincing fashion. Next, they look forward to coming home and defending the “Jungle.” The SV community will be buzzing Friday night when the Panthers battle the Blue Bombers of Palmerton. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. as the Panthers attempt to stay perfect and get #3. Good luck Panthers, the Source will be with you!

Saucon Source Sideline Sidenote: Not only was Josh Snead perfect with all six of his PATs (extra points), he was a defensive weapon unloading most of his kickoffs deep into the endzone, preventing returns and forcing the Green Knights to start their possessions from their own 20-yard line. When playfully asked to explain why his final kickoff didn’t make it into the endzone, Josh confidently replied, “I have a soccer game tonight. I need to save my strength.”