CHESAPEAKE — The Chesapeake Panthers were able to begin the season with a victory garden. After all, they had the right Plantz.
Senior Drew Plantz had 207 total yards as he helped the Panthers beat the Symmes Valley Vikings 37-28.
Plantz ran 18 times for 177 yards and caught 3 passes for 30 more yards.
“He played extremely well. If we didn’t have all those yards in penalties he would have had 250-plus yards of total offense,” said Panthers’ coach Todd Knipp.
“It was typical of a first game. We were a little sloppy at times. We have to clean up those penalties.”
But Plantz wasn’t a one-man show. The Panthers had 419 total yards with 360 coming on the ground. Curtis Brandenburg ran 7 times for 53 yards and a score, Andrew Daniels 7 times for 24 yards and Andrew Isaacs 4 times for 20 yards.
Quarterback Jacob Harris carried 12 times for 66yards and was 5-of-9 passing for 59 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings were playing without starting quarterback Bronx Carpenter who is out with an injury. Andy Strow started and was 7-of-8 for 22 yards and Dylan Urban came on in the second quarter and was 12-of-24 for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Symmes Valley had 284 total yards with 194 through the air and 94 rushing as Will Jones carried 16 times for 83 yards and a TD.
Chesapeake took a 6-0 lead on the first possession of the game with a 58-yard, 9-play drive capped by Plantz’s 4-yard run at the 7:54 mark.
The Vikings came right back and got to the Panthers4-yard line thanks largely to a 32-yard flea-flicker pass from Asher Maynard to Levi Russell. But the Vikings fumble the ball away at the 4-yard line.
After a Chesapeake punt, the Vikings lost the ball again as Spencer Wright made a sliding catch as he intercepted a pass at the 17-yard line. The Panthers proceeded to drive the length of the field in 13 plays with Harris hitting Ethan Kerns on a 12-yard scoring pass. Plantz caught the conversion pass and it was 14-0 with 6:19 left in the half.
The Vikings came right back with a 67-yard scoring drive that ended on a 3-yard pass from Urban to Strow with 3:47 on the clock and it was 14-6.
Chesapeake answered again with a 69-yard drive — all on the ground — with Brandenburg bolting the final 23 yards for the score. Harris ran for the conversion and it was 22-6 with 1:47 to go in the half.
Symmes Valley came out charging in the second half and cut the deficit to 22-20.
The Vikings went 73 yards in 11 plays to start the half with Urban hitting Jackson Fields with a 15-yard scoring strike. Logan Simpkins caught the conversion pass.
After Chesapeake stalled at the 49 and was forced to punt, the Vikings got the ball at the 24 and drove the field in 9 plays with Urban running the final yard to make it 22-20 with 20 seconds left in the quarter.
Following a Chesapeake punt, the Vikings were backed up to the 10-yard line. After a 3-yard line, Urban was stopped in the end zone for a safety and it was now 24-20.
The Panthers returned the free kick to the Vikings 40 and used a 9-play drive featuring passes of 7 and 17 yards to Kerns and runs of one, 15 and 6 by Plantz with his final run of 6 yards going for the score.
Logan Diamond kicked the conversion and it was 31-20 with 5:50 left.
The Vikings failed to convert on a fourth down at their own 27 and Plantz scored on the ensuing play and it was 37-20 with 4:24 to play.
The Vikings didn’t quit and drove 65 yards capped by Jones’ 5-yard scoring run with 2:06 left. Russell caught the conversion pass.
This Friday, the Panthers visit Minford and the Vikings host Rock Hill.
Sym. Valley 0 6 14 8 = 28
Chesapeake 6 16 0 15 = 37
First Quarter
Ch — Drew Plantz 4 run (kick failed) 7:54
Second Quarter
Ch — Ethan Kerns 12 pass from Jacob Harris (Drew Plantz pass from Jacob Harris) 6:19
SV — Andy Strow 3 pass from Dylan Urban (run failed) 3:47
Ch — Curtis Brandenburg 23 run (Jacob Harris run) 1:47
Third Quarter
SV — Jackson Fields 15 pass from Dylan Urban (Logan Simpkins pass from Dylan Urban) 7:14
SV — Dylan Urban 1 run (pass failed) 0:20
Fourth Quarter
Ch — Safety (Dylan Urban tackled in the end zone) 9:55
Ch — Drew Plantz 6 run (Logan Diamond kick) 5:50
Ch — Drew Plantz 27 run (kick failed) 4:24
SV — Will Jones 5 run (Levi Russell pass from Dylan Urban) 2:06
———
SV Ch
First downs 19 21
Rushes-yards 26-94 48-360
Passing yards 194 59
Total yards 284 419
Cmp-Att-Int 21-33-1 5-9-0
Fumbles-lost 4-1 1-0
Penalties-yards 2-10 9-54
———
Individual Leaders
RUSHING–Symmes Valley: Will Jones 16-83 TD, Asher Maynard 4-17, Dylan Urban 4-13, Randy Adkins 1-minus 3, team 1-minus 16; Chesapeake: Andrew Daniels 7-24, Curtis Brandenburg 7-53 TD, Andrew Isaacs 4-20, Jacob Harris 12-66, Drew Plantz 18-177 2TD.
PASSING–Symmes Valley: Dylan Urban 12-24-0 140 2TD, Andy Strow 7-8-1 22, Asher Maynard 1-1-0 32; Chesapeake: Jacob Harris 5-9-0 59 TD.
RECEIVING–Symmes Valley: Andy Stow 3-30 TD, Will Jones 4-19, Jackson Fields 6-44 TD, Gradee Holland 3-31, Asher Maynard 6-38, Levi Russell 1-32; Chesapeake: Drew Plantz 3-30, Ethan Kerns 2-29 TD.
MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.
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