 08/29/2025
BY JACK BULLOCK
PINCKNEYVILLE - The Pinckneyville Panthers football program
has never been confused with being a powerhouse.
They
have only produced three playoff appearances and zero playoff
wins in the history.
But on
Friday night Coach Ryan Lott and his squad looked the part.
The Panthers
did the kind of things that playoff caliber teams do in winning
their season opener.
Offensively
Pinckneyville got it together with a three-score second quarter
to take command and the Panthers' defense, with the exception
of one third quarter drive, kept Red Bud undercover in a 22-6
victory.
“This
is one of those where it is absolutely special (the win). It
is really special for this senior group. I started with them
as freshmen, it was a very large class and 17 of them are still
with us working hard. They're just a special class,” said
Coach Lott, who is now in his fourth year leading the program.”
To close
out the game, Coach Lott's offensive unit did something not
many high school teams can do.
Taking
over the ball after an interception with 11:25 left in the fourth
quarter, Panther senior quarterback Reed Marlow led his team
on a 15-play, 77-yard drive that ran out the clock and gave
Pinckneyville their first win over the Musketeers in seven seasons.
“I
wasn't going to put it (the ball) in anyone else's hands,”
said Coach Lott about Marlow and the final drive. “We
had to find a way to finish the game and obviously we did. Anytime
you can continue to get first downs, keep the clock running
and not give the ball back.”
Marlow
finished his night with some impressive stats.
Throwing
the ball the 6-foot senior ended up 14-of-21 for 178-yards and
a pair of touchdowns.
His 44-yard
strike to senior classmate Michael Brand gave the Panthers the
lead that they wouldn't give up to break the scoring ice in
the second quarter.
Running
back JD Kellerman also had a fine night, rushing five times
for 88-yards and a touchdown, including a 57-yard TD scamper
for the second score of the season for the Panthers.
“We
have some nice play makers and we want to spread it out and
get them the ball,” said Coach Lott.
However
it was the defensive effort on Red Bud, especially keeping junior
quarterback Landon Ruebusch in check, that notched the victory.
The Panthers'
kept Ruebusch under pressure for most of the night and held
him to a 9-of-25 passing performance, which included three interceptions.
Two of
the mistakes came during consecutive possessions where the Musketeers
were in Pinckneyville territory.
Senior
defensive backs Noah Yearian and Thomas Fisher, on consecutive
attempts during the two possessions, intercepted Ruebusch to
stop drives.
Yearian
snagged a pass and fell to the turf on the Pinckneyville 11-yard
line.
After
a Panther punt, Fisher picked off Ruebusch to stop the Musketeers
from scoring, taking over at their own 20.
After
the second pick, Pinckneyville used up nearly all of the final
3:35 of the half on an extended 11-play drive, 80-yard drive.
Marlow,
with just :08 left in the second quarter and the ball on the
Red Bud five, rolled out to his left and found Yearian wide
open in the end zone.
The PAT
kick by Yearian closed the book on a dominant half for the hosts,
up 22-0. |
Red
Bud's first half consisted of three scoring chances.