Windsor Wolves vs Vernon Panthers

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On any given day, any team has the opportunity to defeat their opponent no matter what the odds are. The Windsor Wolves may have been underdogs when they faced the reigning AA Champion Vernon Panthers, but one play at a time, they showed they belonged on the same field and that, in fact, they were the better team Saturday afternoon on their way to a stunning 17-14 victory.  

When these two teams met earlier this season, way back in September, there was a much different result. The Panthers took that contest 21-0, and despite the Wolves battling hard and making things difficult for their opponent, the Panthers felt in control for most of the game. 

This Saturday, a completely different story was told. These teams were dead even from kickoff. Both team's defenses battled hard and limited their opponent's explosive offensive units to under 20 points. Every time it seemed as if either team's star quarterbacks had caught fire, both defenses would respond on the next drive with critical stops, not allowing them to get in a proper rhythm. 

With the Panthers driving late in the first quarter, the Wolves defense made their first big play of the afternoon. On a first and goal inside the ten-yard line, the Wolves took a chance and blitzed star linebacker Samson Sachter off the edge. The linebacker flew into the Panther's backfield and met quarterback Cole Budgen who was attempting to execute a zone read with tailback Jonah Lee.

There was a miscommunication on the exchange, and the ball fell onto the turf right in front of Sachter, who pounced on the ball for the Wolves. An uncharacteristic mistake from the Panthers had saved Windsor from an early deficit. 

Both teams continued to play stifling defense until midway through the second quarter. The Panthers had the ball and decided it was time to lean on their physical offensive line and Lee. The Panthers pounded the rock all the way downfield and looked poised to score inside their opponent's 10-yard line.

The Wolves refused to let the Panthers cross their goalline with out a fight. On second and goal, Lee raced toward the endzone on a crack toss play. Meeting him right on the Goal line was the Wolves starting quarterback and safety Emmet Ward.

Ward dropped his shoulder and stopped Lee flat in his tracks on a perfect-form tackle, and it was third down. This go around, the Panthers tried to pound the ball inside the tackles with Lee. Sachter and the Wolves weren't having any of it. 

Sachter jumped the snap count and had Lee in his grasp before the running back even had a chance to approach the line of scrimmage. After a WWE-style suplex by Sachter, Lee had lost a yard, and it was fourth and goal. 

With it apparent the Panthers run game wasn't going to get them into the endzone, the team turned to their star quarterback. On a sprint-out play to his left, Budgen let go of a perfect pass just out of a Wolves defender's reach and hit Anderson Bicknell at the front pylon for the game's first major. 

On the ensuing drive, the Wolves were faced with a third-and-six. Ward scrambled out of the pocket under immediate pressure and attempted to throw the ball into the dirt to escape a potential big loss. The ball did not, in fact, fall harmlessly to the turf; the ball fell right to the mitts of defensive tackle Tanner Hanson. The Panther's lineman channeled his inner Vince Wilfork and rumbled all the way to the two-yard line before being brought down by Ward and then being mobbed by his teammates.

Lee punched the ball in a couple of plays later for the Panthers, and all of a sudden, a scoreless tie became a 14-0 Vernon lead. Now we've seen this all before. Typically, this is right were the Panthers begin to pull away and take complete control of the game. With his team reeling and desperately needing a big drive Emmet Ward took matters into his own hands.

On a long drive, Ward spread the ball around to receivers Xavian Washington and Samson Sachter before calling his own number on a quarterback counter and making multiple Panthers miss on his way to an 11-yard touchdown scamper. The Wolves had refused to give in to their Missfourtune and had cut the lead to 14-7 Panthers heading into the half. 

After Ward led the Wolves downfield on their first drive of the third quarter and kicked a field goal to cut the lead to 14-0, defenses again ruled the day. Both teams allowed their opponents to get deep into their territory before embracing the old adage bend but don't break and forced punts or made crucial fourth down stops. 

With just seven minutes to go in the game, Budgen and the Panthers had the ball back and were quickly moving downfield. The star quarterback picked apart the Wolves secondary, getting through his progressions with ease. Mix in a couple of classic hard-nosed runs by Lee, and the Panthers were pressing inside the Wolves twenty-yard line. 

Once again, the Wolves were tasked with making a massive redzone stop. The stingy defensive unit did just that and forced a short-field goal attempt on fourth down. That short field goal, which seemed like a sure thing, went just left of the uprights. With 5:31 to go in the game, the Wolves had the ball back deep in their own territory. 

Ward started the drive by hitting Washington on a screen play and as the speedy receiver did throughout the game, he broke multiple tackles and the Wolves were on the move. 

Later on that same drive, Ward dropped back to pass on a second and short. The strong-armed quarterback whipped the ball in between two Panthers defenders and hit  Sachter on a seam route. Sachter would make a few more grabs to get his team deep inside Panther's territory, but none bigger than his final snag. 

On a second down at the Panthers 13-yard line, Sachter had a one-on-one matchup in the slot. As Ward dropped back to pass and faced pressure, he let go of the ball just in time. As the ball traveled towards the right sideline, it appeared to be a step too far for Sachter. The star receiver knew that wasn't so, as he stuck out his left hand and made an incredible one-hand catch. 

As he collected the ball on the run, a Panthers defender attempted to bring him down. Samson used his arm, not possessing the ball to throw off that would be tackler flat on his back with a vicious stiff arm. With nothing but the endzone in sight, Sachter would sprint over the goalline and give the Wolves their first lead all night with just 1:50 remaining in the game. 

With the Wolves sideline and fans in the stands erupting, their coaching staff knew the game was far from over. The Wolves had to lock back in because with well over a minute to go, the AA Player of the Year had the ball back in his hands.

Budgen started the drive by threading the needle on two perfect passes towards the sideline, one of those attempts on third down and had the Panthers working their way toward midfield. After three straight incompletions on narrow misses, the Panthers had to convert a fourth and ten to keep their season alive. 

Budgen dropped back to pass on that must have play. The star evaded pressure and rolled to his right. Budgen kept his eyes downfield and hit his intended target in a tight window right by the first down marker. With the spot of the ball being too close to call, the chain gang came out for a game-deciding measurement.  

As the marker's chains were stretched to their fullest extent, the nose of the football was all but an inch short of the first down marker. The Wolves had stopped the Panthers on downs and the game was over. As the Wolves kneeled out the final seconds on the clock, the sideline exploded in celebration as the Wolves had pulled off the upset. 

This game will be one Windsors players, coaches and families will never forget and a constant reminder that on any given championship Saturday, anything can happen.