By Debbie Raney
Burns Times-Herald

One mistake is too many during a state quarterfinal football game; and more than that can prove to be fatal. The Imbler Panthers took advantage of the Crane Mustangs’ mistakes last Saturday, and the Panthers earned the right to advance to the semi-finals of the 1A OSAA state championships with a 58-38 win over Crane.

Along with Imbler, the four remaining teams in contention for the state title are Dufur, Perrydale and Joseph. Both semi-final games will be held on Nov. 22 at Wilsonville High School. The first game will begin at 11 a.m., between Joseph and Perrydale. Dufur and Imbler will kickoff at 2:15 p.m.

Crane’s loss to Imbler on Nov. 15 began with the Mustangs setting a rapid pace. Two plays and 22 seconds into the game, Crane had scored on a 43-yard Dallen Davies run behind Raymond Thompson blocks. The duo paired up again for the conversion, and the Mustangs were immediately in an 8-0 lead.

The Panthers were stopped on their first possession with a stripped ball recovered by Crane’s Milton Merritt. The Mustangs couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, and ended up giving possession back to Imbler on downs, at the 50-yard line.

Imbler’s first play was a pass from Bryan Mills to Dalton McDaniel. McDaniel outran all of Crane’s defense up the middle of the field, and went untouched into the end zone. The Mustangs stopped the conversion run attempt, and the score stood 8-6 with 8:42 on the first quarter clock.

Crane upped their lead on their next offensive drive, going 65 yards in four plays. Davies ran the ball to the Panther 18, and then Royal Henricks took two handoffs for the remaining 18. At 6:42, the score had Crane leading 14-6, as Imbler stopped the Mustangs’ two-point try.

The Panthers picked up three first downs — two on the ground and one from a Mustang penalty — when they went back to offense. At Crane’s 28-yard line, Mills passed to Bryson Ricker for another Imbler touchdown, keeping the score at a two-point difference, 14-12.

In spite of a Pete Joyce kick return that gave the Mustangs field position at the 41, Crane went nowhere on their next possession and had to give the ball up at their own 45-yard line.

Two plays in, the Panther’s Nick West got out of two Mustang tackles and passed to Ricker downfield for a touchdown that put Imbler into the lead. With a conversion pass adding two more, the score had Crane trailing 20-14 as the first quarter ended.

Receptions by Joyce and Henricks from Davies had the Mustangs moving the ball from their own 37 to Imbler’s 3. A 15-yard Crane penalty put the Mustangs into a third and goal situation, on the 18. Davies dropped back to pass and had to scramble for his life.

Henricks kept mobile in the end zone, and the two eventually connected for the tying touchdown. Joyce gave an extra effort stretch on the conversion run, and Crane went to the lead, 22-20.

Thompson intercepted a Panther pass three plays later, but the Mustangs didn’t capitalize on the possession. Davies was dropped for a loss of five yards, and then another penalty moved Crane backward five yards further, and the Mustangs eventually had to punt. The next Imbler possession also ended with a punt, and then Crane turned the ball over on a fumble with just over three minutes remaining in the first half. The Panthers were deep into the Mustang territory, with the line of scrimmage at Crane’s 21. Four snaps in, Zack Philips broke free and ran to the end zone for a 28-22 lead over the Mustangs.

The Panthers came down with an intercepted pass to end the second quarter.

Imbler had possession to start the third quarter, and were on the move, picking up first downs on the ground and from a Mustang penalty. At Crane’s 43, Mills tried to connect with Ricker, but the Mustangs’ Ryan Opie picked off the pass. With his return, Crane had the ball on their own 21-yard line.

After getting three first downs, the Mustangs started moving the wrong way. Two five-yard penalties pushed them backward, and then Davies was dropped for a loss of 12 yards on a broken pass play. At their own 47, Davies passed downfield, and was picked off by the Panthers’ McDaniel.

Imbler went four and out,   and Crane regained possession. Another scramble for a loss of yards pushed the Mustangs back to their own 27. A low snap on the Mustangs’ punt attempt resulted in Imbler taking over on downs at Crane’s 14. The Panthers took advantage of the break, and scored on a Mills run, pushing their lead to 36-22 to end the third quarter.

On the very first play of the fourth, Davies was intercepted again, setting up another Panther scoring drive. At the 45-yard line, West broke free straight up the gut, running 55 yards for the touchdown. He cleared the end zone for the conversion run as well, and Imbler pulled into a 44-22 advantage with 10:50 to play in the game.

After another penalty, the Mustangs had the line of scrimmage at their own 43. Opie pulled down a Davies pass for a 30-yard gain, and then Davies moved the ball to the one. Thompson powered through the middle for the last yard and the touchdown. Blake Steeves ran in the two-point, and Crane closed the gap to a 44-28 score.

After forcing the Panthers to punt, Crane was on their own two-yard line. Davies was pressured in the end zone by Imbler, and threw an errant underhand forward pitch, straight into the arms of the Panthers’ Jace Eisiminger. Eisiminger needed only two steps into the end zone, and Imbler again upped their lead.

The momentum of the game was all in the Panthers’ favor.

On the ensuing kick, Imbler booted an onside to Crane’s 44. The Mustangs were slow to get on the ball, and the Panthers were once again in possession. With Crane giving them the first five yards on another penalty, Imbler was in the end zone in only four snaps. At the Mustangs’ 29, West slipped through two tackles and made it to the left end zone for six more points and a 58-30 score with three minutes remaining in the game.

Crane scored one more time, beginning the final drive of the game and season at their own 33. Opie picked up the first 26 on a pass from Davies, and then Thompson and Davies ran the ball to the Imbler 20. Max Miller caught a Davies pass 10 yards downfield, broke a tackle, and went to the left pylon. With 51 seconds to play, T.J. Potter caught a conversion pass, and the game ended in a final score of 58-38.