MAXWELL, CA (MPG) – As the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end” and such was the case last Wednesday night in the Northern Section CIF Division V championship football game when the No. 2 seeded Maxwell Panthers suffered a gut-wrenching 35-37 loss to No. 4 Los Molinos.
Making an appearance in the section title game for the first time since 2014, Maxwell was riding a seven-game win streak and had soundly beaten Los Molinos 63-28 in a Mid-Valley League contest back on Oct. 18, but the Bulldogs rallied for three touchdowns in the final period to steal the victory in heartbreaking fashion.
At the outset however, Maxwell looked to be off to a strong start, when after holding Los Molinos to a three and out in the game’s first possession, the Panthers needed just five plays to put a touchdown on the board as quarterback Noel Velazquez bulled his way into the end zone with eight minutes remaining in the period.
But after the extra point try was blocked, the Bulldogs came roaring back, starting their second drive in good field position after a Maxwell penalty and using their height advantage at the receiver position to take a 7-6 lead following a touchdown pass.
Nevertheless, the Panthers answered, capitalizing on a Bulldog penalty to keep their second drive alive and ultimately regain the advantage 14-7, when Velazquez threw a strike to Walter Avery in the end zone, and then tacked on the two-point conversion.
Into the second quarter, Maxwell extended its lead to 21-7 when a long pass to Erik New down to the two set up its third touchdown of the half when Velazquez again punched it in three minutes later.
Yet, the Panthers couldn’t shake the Bulldogs, who pulled within eight at 21-13 with a minute and half remaining in the period.
On the ensuing possession, Maxwell had a chance to add on, but couldn’t get anything going and as a result gave the ball back to Los Molinos, although fortunately for the Panthers, Tanner Vierra came away with the pick to preserve the advantage.
Receiving the second half kickoff, Maxwell intended to get its offense on track again, but instead disaster struck, as it fumbled on the first play from scrimmage, setting up the Bulldogs at the six and resulting in a touchdown that made the score 21-19 after the Panthers stuffed the two-point conversion attempt.
Still, throughout the season Maxwell had responded to adversity and did so again, marching down the field on a 10-play, 55-yard drive that culminated when Velazquez again found Avery wide open in the end zone to give the Panthers some breathing room at 28-19.
Another opportunity for Maxwell to put away the visitors presented itself on the Bulldogs’ subsequent possession when Vierra made his second interception of the night, but uncharacteristically, the Panthers squandered it, fumbling the ball back to the Bulldogs.
Unfortunately for Maxwell, it led to another touchdown for Los Molinos, thanks to a roughing the passer call against the Panthers on a fourth and 15 that extended the drive inside the red zone.
Now in the fourth quarter and clinging to a three-point lead, Maxwell made good one more time just six seconds into the final period when Velazquez connected with Vierra, who had gotten behind the defense on the near sideline, for a 39-yard score to give Maxwell a seemingly comfortable 35-25 margin.
But that was not to be the case, as Los Molinos gouged the Panthers for two more touchdowns in the final five minutes, including what was the game winner with just 24 ticks left on the clock.
It was a stunning result for what had been such a successful year for Maxwell as its head coach Lane Davis explained after the game.
“I’m certainly proud of them for what they accomplished this season and as I told them, disappointments like this can build better men,” Davis said. “In the end though, we just didn’t get enough possessions in the second half because of mental errors and turnovers.”
Overall, despite holding the Northern Section’s leading rusher, Harrison Hamre to 136 yards, one of his lowest outputs of the season, the Bulldogs found success through the air and outgained the Panthers in total offensive production 440 yards to 270.
In his final performance for Maxwell, Velazquez completed 10 of 19 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns in addition to rushing eight times for 50 yards and two more scores.
Avery, another senior, turned in a commendable effort as well carrying four times for 38 yards, hauling in five passes for another 38 yards and kicking three extra points.
Defensively, a number of returners, including Landon Barrett, Connor Pearson, New, Vierra and Macklin Kuska showed that the despite the loss, there is much to look forward to next season.
Barrett and Pearson accounted for 17 and 16 tackles respectively, New and Vierra made 13 apiece, while Kuska finished the night with 10.
Maxwell completed the season with an overall record of 11-2 and in a three-way tie atop the Mid-Valley League standings.