HEGINS - Surely the good start to the season was a confidence builder for a Panther Valley football team that waded through a winless season in 2021.

But after beating Salisbury on opening night, the Panthers ran into a buzz saw on Friday night.

Tri-Valley proved to be a much tougher act to keep pace with as the Bulldogs used a sturdy, swarming defense and an offense that seemingly could score at will to roll to a 49-0 victory.

It was the second straight win for the hosts, who studder-stepped at times in the first two quarters, before finally finding a rhythm.

The Bulldogs looked like they hit for a quick-strike on their second possession of the game when quarterback Kole Miller raced 63 yards to the end zone, but a penalty set that back. However, two plays later Miller was striking up the band when he found Jolten Flory speeding past the Panthers’ secondary for a touchdown. Chase Stephen then booted the first of his six extra points.

Panther Valley showed some offensive spark in the early going as athletic quarterback Mike Pascoe dealt a picture-perfect pass to Mergim Bushati for a completion down to the TV 33-yard line. But the drive fizzled there.

“Panther Valley has two kids in its backfield they weigh over 230 pounds - they are tough to bring down,” said Tri-Valley coach Jeff Sampson about Pascoe and Austin Hadley and some of the problems they created for his defense.

After the Bulldogs’ defense survived PV’s early threat, the Tri-Valley offense began to start clicking.

“We do what we do best, and that’s run the ball,” said Sampson. “But we showed we can sprinkle some passing in too.”

The Bulldogs did more than sprinkle in a some passing as they threw for 202 yards. They added another 160 on the ground.

“Their front just out-matched us,” said first-year Panther Valley coach Mark Lavine. “We did a nice job of stopping the run on the first two possessions, but once they did the stretch stuff, their speed started to show up.”

The Panthers weren’t afraid to gamble early and when they failed to convert on a fourth-down from the Dawgs’ 40 late in the first half, Tri-Valley quickly went to work needing just three plays to crack the end zone as Reese Huntzinger went in from the five. The big play in the drive was a 56-yard pass to Layne Yoder after Tri-Valley was called for a penalty that moved the ball deeper inside their own territory.

“That was a big play for them,” Lavine said.

After that, the Panthers were in catch-up mode. Tri-Valley punched home its third touchdown of the opening half when Jacob Scheib outraced the PV defenders on the way to a 78-yard touchdown that made it 21-0.

The Bulldogs continue to pile up points in the third quarter as Scheib was dancing to paydirt on a 40-yard scamper before Yoder hauled in a beauty of a pass from Miller on a skinny post to push the score to 35-0.

A Huntzinger 31-yard run to paydirt and a Tyler Reho run form 35 yards out finished off the scoring.

“We need to get better - the coaches and the players. We got whooped tonight,” Lavine said.

BY THE NUMBERS … Panther Valley struggled rushing the ball, managing just 64 yards. Pascoe for the second straight week led the team in rushing with 67 yards.

QUOTEABLE … “There were times when they were blitzing and we just weren’t able to pick it up.” said Lavine about Tri-Valley’s defensive pressure.

DOES IT ALL … Pascoe is one fierce competitor and one heck of an athlete. He ranks with the best the school has produced.

HE’S GOOD TOO … Like Pascoe, the Panthers’ Hadley is also a terrific all-around football player. He’ll be playing the game at the next level.