Panthers, 'Jacks to meet Thursday in Berwick

Berwick and Patterson seek consistency in Thursday’s District 8-3A showdown at Berwick.
Berwick (4-1, 1-1) comes into the game after suffering its first loss of the season, 55-36, to Erath Friday.
The Panthers trailed 35-12 at halftime before the offense ignited in the season half. The squad scored touchdowns on four of its six possessions after scoring on just 1 of 5 first-half possessions.
Despite the loss, Berwick put up 476 yards of offense (402 yards passing and 74 yards rushing). Quarterback Mitchell Sanford completed 15 of 22 pass attempts for 377 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He has completed 32 of 61 pass attempts for 727 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions this season.
Co-quarterback Collin Louviere has also completed 34 of 85 pass attempts for 618 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions this year.
Berwick also had two 100-yard receivers Friday. Josh Carver had eight catches for 136 yards, while Kenan Jones had six catches for 108 yards and a score.
The duo leads the Tri-City area’s pass catchers. Carver is tops with 26 catches for 528 yards and eight scores, while Jones is second with 26 catches for 496 yards and four scores.
Josh Jones has been Berwick’s top rusher this season with 51 carries for 278 yards and two scores, while Louviere has added 101 yards on 32 carries with two touchdowns.
“We have to be consistent and perform four quarters as a team,” Berwick’s first-year Coach Eric Holden said. “I like to think we have prepared for this game just as we have for the first five games.”
A win Thursday would snap a lengthy losing streak for the Panthers against the Lumberjacks.
Meanwhile, Patterson’s second-half comeback fell short for the second straight week Friday in a 45-20 loss to unbeaten Kaplan.
“I like the emotion and effort we’re playing with, but we have to find a way to get started earlier in the game,” first-year Patterson Coach Marvin Dantzler said after Friday’s game. “We’ve gotten behind in nearly every game this season. We have to put together a whole game.”
Dantzler’s message hasn’t changed this week with surprising rival Berwick up next.
“We have to play a complete game Friday,” he said. “We have played well in spots but not for four quarters. In rivalry games like this, records don’t mean anything because both teams will come to play.”
But Patterson’s (0-5, 1-0) start to this season has made Thursday’s game a must win.
“We still have everything ahead of us if we can handle our business in the rest of our district games,” Dantzler stressed.
Trailing 39-7 at the start of the fourth quarter Friday, Patterson quarterback Hector Tolento scored on a zone-read from 5 yards out with 10:47 left. The two-point conversion failed for a 39-13 Kaplan lead.
Tolento, starting for the second straight week, was 13 of 27 passing for 173 yards and a touchdown. The senior has completed 19 of 40 pass attempts for 300 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
After Tolento’s touchdown Friday, senior kicker Christian Soria uncorked consecutive picture-perfect onside-kicks that Patterson recovered. Patterson scored on the first possession when Tolento found Jordan Butler for a 21-yard touchdown pass with 9:57 remaining in the game. Soria’s point-after kick was good to cut Kaplan’s advantage to 39-20.
Butler was the team’s top receiver with six catches for 97 yards and a touchdown Friday, while Dajon Richard had three receptions for 38 yards.
Butler leads the team this season with 16 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns. The senior only trails Berwick’s passing-catching duo of Carver and Kenan Jones among Tri-City area leaders.
After cutting the Kaplan advantage to 39-20, Soria’s second onside-kick popped into the air, and Patterson recovered again at Kaplan’s 37-yard line. This time, however, the Pirates’ defense held on fourth down with 9:06 left in the game.
Kaplan took over and went on a 13-play, 68-yard, all-run drive that culminated with a score.
Patterson had 345 yards of total offense (173 yards passing and 172 yards rushing) in last week’s loss.
Dontre Nicholas had his second consecutive 100-yard game, with 26 carries for 144 yards and a touchdown. The junior has rushed 59 times for 335 yards and a touchdown this season.
“We had to change a couple things on defense, because they like to throw it around and we’ve been playing Wing-T teams,” Dantzler said. “But for the most part, we’re just going to come and try to play a complete game on both sides of the ball.”
Kickoff is 7 p.m. Thursday at Geisler Stadium in Berwick.