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Ponitz pummels Riverview East

Ponitz RB Craig Poythress

Cincinnati, ohio – Sometimes the grass is actually greener on the other side of the fence.  The Ponitz Golden Panthers found home field advantage at Welcome Stadium led to disappointment and frustration going 0-3 at the venue.   Playing their first game of the season on the road, at McCartney Stadium (Western Hills HS) against conference foe the Riverview East Academy Hawks proved to be just what the doctor ordered. A Ponitz 32-0 victory.

With their first victory of the season, the Panthers head coach Jim Place said “It was a good win to get the team going.” For the Hawks suffered their second consecutive loss.  Ponitz dominated play from the opening kick-off through the final whistle.

The Golden Panthers first scoring drive last just three plays with quarterback Ton Higgins 5-yard touchdown run. Kicker Sirron Miller’s extra point made it 7-0. It was the only score in the first quarter.

Ponitz would take a 13-0 lead into halftime.  On their second score in the second quarter, Panthers defensive backs Donez Cummings and Donyea McNary made a tremendous play as the Hawks were forced to punt deep inside of their side of the field.  Cummings would pressure the Riverview punter into a short punt. McNary would return it 22 yards into the Hawks red-zone.  A couple of offensive plays later, Craig Poythress would hit paydirt.

Midway through the third quarter with neither team able to make any key offensive plays, it was the Ponitz defense that came up big.  Again it was Panthers defensive backs that contributed to a critical mistake by the Riverview offense.  McNary forced a fumble at the Panthers 44-yard line and teammate Eric Sealey recovered the fumble.

Ponitz DE Eric Sealey (photo courtesy of Ponitz Tech)

Ponitz went on a seven play drive. It ended when Higgins went scrambling out of the pocket on a pass attempt, what looked like an apparent broken play, tuned into a 15-yard touchdown run for the junior.  A key block by wide receiver Lorenzo McWhorter was instrumental in Higgins getting into the Hawks end zone. The Panthers missed the extra-point attempt but built their lead to 19-0.

In the same stanza, Poythress would score again. He exploded for a 13-yard, highlight reel touchdown, leaping over a Hawk defender into the end zone.  Miller’s second extra-point of the game gave Ponitz a 26-0 lead.

Any hopes by the Hawks of getting on the scoreboard were dashed with another key play by McNary, intercepting a Hawk pass in the Panthers end zone with time expiring in the third quarter.

The Panthers would close out the scoring with 6-foot-5 inch, 245 pound, junior quarterback DeMonte Bailey’s sneaking in from the 1-yard line late in the fourth quarter. The Ponitz defense strangle held the Hawks from getting into the end zone and recorded a rare shutout for the program. Assistant coach Tim Fielding of the stated “the win came at a crucial point in our season, and it shows what the players are able to do by working together.”
Ponitz Tech 7-13-13-6-32
Riverview East 0-0-0-0-0

P: Higgins 5 run (Miller kick)
P: Poythress 18 run (kick failed)
P: Higgins 15 run (kick failed)
P: Poythress 18 run (Miller kick)
P: Bailey 1 run (kick failed)

RECORDS: Ponitz (1-3); Riverview East (2-2)

UP NEXT: Ponitz travels to Western Hills (0-4): Riverview East is at Lutheran East

Article written by: Doc Kirshner

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