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North Huskies vs Reitz Mighty Panthers - at Reitz Bowl Sep 12, 2025

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Offense

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Game Recap

TURNOVERS THE DIFFERENCE IN 19-14 LOSS TO REITZ

Three consecutive turnovers to start the game doomed the North Huskies in a 19-14 loss to the Reitz Panthers at Reitz Bowl.  After digging a 19-point hole for themselves, the Huskies began the long climb back after intermission.

FIRST HALF MISCUES

Despite opening up with a bruising running game that marched 38 yards on six plays, North was victimized by a trick play gone awry.  With a first down at the Reitz 37, the Huskies attempted a bit of razzle dazzle.  A runner came in motion to the right, took the handoff, and, rather than continuing a sweep around end, he stopped to throw a deep pass toward the end zone.  A Reitz defender picked off the pass at the goal line and returned it 36 yards—very nearly to the line of scrimmage.  The Panthers then converted a long drive with a “tipped ball” reception that resulted in a 38-yard touchdown.  Their two-point conversion attempt failed and North trailed 6-0 with 3:41 remaining in the quarter.

SHORT FIELD FOR REITZ EQUALS MORE POINTS

With the Panther kicker booming the ball deep on kick-offs and long on punts, the Huskies average first half starting field position was the 22-yard line.  Reitz, on the other hand, enjoyed an average starting field position of the ‘North’ 49-yard line.  On North’s ensuing possession after the touchdown, a Husky runner coughed up the ball after an eight-yard gain and the Panthers recovered at the North 38.  Six plays later and on the first play of the second quarter, their quarterback drilled a pass to a receiver in the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.  Senior Darian Walker jumped high above the line and got just enough of the extra point kick to deflect it away from the goal and North trailed 12-0.

THE DEFENSE STIFFENS

When the next Husky possession ended with a fumble at the 31-yard line, there was ‘blood in the water’ as the Panthers looked to turn the game into a rout.  The North defense had other ideas and yielded ground begrudgingly.  It took Reitz eight plays and over five minutes to drive within reach of the Huskies’ end zone and when they arrived at the door, North got a big play of their own.  Senior T.J. Michel ‘made a play’ and intercepted a pass in the right corner of the end zone to end the threat.

SECOND HALF

After a series of punts ended the second quarter, the Panthers received the ball to start the second half.  They methodically drove down field in nine plays—eight of which were runs—and scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 8:15 to play in the quarter.  Leading 19-0, the game appeared out of reach for North.

A FOURTH TURNOVER

North took over at their 20-yard line (after yet another touchback kickoff by Reitz) and Husky spirits began to revive as the offense put together its first successful drive of the game.  Stacking four first downs on top of one another, North steadily ‘moved the chains’ into scoring position.  Eleven plays brought them to the Reitz 23 before an errant Husky pass was intercepted at the Reitz one yard line.  Barely five minutes remained in the third quarter and it appeared North’s hopes at a comeback were dashed.

GOOD FORTUNE SMILES ON NORTH

Finally starting from poor field position, Reitz faced an increasingly difficult to run against North defense.  Senior Baron Briscoe stopped a runner for a short gain on first down and then tackled that same runner for loss on second down.  A third down pass fell incomplete and the Panther kicking game—which had boomed balls deep when they needed them to—shanked a punt out of bounds at their 40-yard line.  The next six plays saw sophomore Hunter McKinney and senior ‘Q’ Pauley deployed on every snap as the Huskies battered their way to the one-yard line.  Junior quarterback Jayden Jones pushed his way into the end zone for the touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.  Sophomore Stuart Land’s extra point made the score 19-7.

The good fortune continued when Land successfully completed an on-sides kickoff that senior Derek Dean recovered at the Reitz 47.  Four running plays drove the ball to the 35 before a pair of passes fell incomplete and the Huskies turned the ball over on downs.

NINE MINUTES LEFT, WHO WILL MAKE A PLAY?

Reitz felt they had ‘dodged a bullet’ and proceeded to hammer away at both the North defense and the game clock.  Five consecutive running plays ate up just enough yardage to gain a pair of first downs.  Nearly four minutes of time were run off the clock and things were beginning to look desperate for the Huskies.  Faced with third-and-five at North’s 36-yard line, the Panthers went for the ‘coup de grace’ and launched a deep pass down the sideline toward their best receiver.

Senior Aman Kincaid awaited in coverage and when his moment came, he made the most of it.  Leaping simultaneously with the receiver, he reached up, battled for the ball, and pulled in the interception at the Husky six-yard line.  North had the ball back with just over five minutes to play in the game.

A LONG WAY TO GO

Of course, 94 yards still stood between the Huskies and the end zone. 

The strength of North’s offense has been its ability to run the ball thus far this season.  Left to a heavy dose of running plays, there was little reason to believe that the Huskies could battle back in the time left on the clock.

North needed their young quarterback, Jayden Jones, to ‘go to work’ in a way that he had not yet displayed as a varsity player.  The Huskies would need to become a ‘pass-first’ offense for the remainder of the game.

FLYING TO PAY DIRT

Over the course of the ensuing drive, Jones completed six of seven passes for 52 yards and helped the offense overcome a pair of false start penalties that threatened to stall the drive.  The largest play came on “first-and-twenty” with a 23-yard completion to senior Evan Garnett.  That pass was immediately followed by a twenty-yard strike to junior tight end Carson Conley.  With a first-and-goal at the two, Pauley drove into the end zone to bring the score to 19-14 with a minute left on the clock.

With the passing offense ‘heating up’ and having already successfully converted one on-side kick, Husky hopes were soaring.  If they could convert one more on-side kick, a five-point lead with a minute to play was not insurmountable.

Until a Reitz player recovered the kickoff and the Panthers ran out the clock.

For their part, the Huskies overcame self-inflicted wounds, took the ball away from their opponent at key times, and honed skills that will be useful the remainder of the season.

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