Panthers battle Livonia

The 12-6 loss suffered at the hands of the Northwest Raiders has the Pine Prairie Panthers still grasping for that ever-elusive first playoff game. With the defeat, the Panthers do not receive the 10 power points that would have been so useful in keeping them within striking distance of the top 32 teams in the state. Going into the game against the Raiders, the Panthers were at number 29 in the power rankings. With the setback, Pine Prairie will not know until Thursday if they have fallen out of the top 32. Next up for the Panthers is a travel date against the Livonia Wildcats. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Despite penetrating inside the Raiders’ 30 yard line on five separate occasions, the Panther offense was rather anemic. Pine Prairie managed a meager 140 yards on 51 plays, an average of only 2.75 yards per play. The Panthers could only gain 10 yards through the air. Douglas Fontenot led the way on offense, gaining 50 yards on 12 rushing attempts. No one else really aided in the Panther offensive effort.
The Pine Prairie defense did manage to hold Northwest to only 233 yards on 55 plays. Most of the Raider yardage came on the ground, as they were able to rush for 207 yards. The Panther defense was also able to force a Raider fumble. Northwest scored in the second and fourth quarters.
The Panthers now face the number two team in the state in terms of power rankings, the Livonia Wildcats. Livonia is undefeated on the year and is coming off of a 21-0 win over the Ville Platte Bulldogs. Upsetting the Wildcats will be a monumental task for the Panthers. One factor in the Panthers’ favor is that Livonia must play the number one team in the state, the Church Point Bears, next week. The Wildcats may overlook Pine Prairie, anticipating the showdown with the Bears.
Regardless, the Panthers almost undoubtedly must win one of their last two games of the season to have a chance of making the playoffs.