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50 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, November 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 20, 2004 Panthers get physical in win over Celtics By DON HUNT Mail Tribune South Medford has been viewed more as a finesse team than a physical team since Bill Singler took over the school’s football program six years ago. The Panthers have gradually changed that image this fall, and Friday night at Spiegelberg Stadium, they were downright ornery as they romped to a 49-16 victory over McNary in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs. Not in a nasty, dirty way, but in an aggressive, energetic and determined way. It all started up front, where South Medford’s offensive and defensive lines, which were deemed undersized and a bit soft at the start of the season, dominated. That domination enabled the Panthers to run for a season-high 313 yards as junior tailback Ryan Odell (133 yards on 15 carries) and senior fullback Logan Boyd (121 yards on 10 carries) each went over the century mark. Advertisement "People don’t talk about us much, but I think our line has come together really well," said Ben Koziol, the Panthers’ 6-foot-1, 250-pound offensive guard and defensive tackle. "We’re all buddies and we take pride in what we do. "That was a blast out there tonight. We kind of punished those guys." Boyd, who kick-started the Panthers when he took a swing pass and raced 68 yards to paydirt early in the game and wound up scoring four touchdowns, said the Panthers were extra motivated after hearing that McNary was happy to be facing a team that supposedly wasn’t as physical as some of its earlier opponents. "We went out there wanting to hit people," said Boyd, who not only ran the ball with authority but also threw some crushing blocks for Odell on sweep plays. "We went out there with a chip on our shoulder." That attitude led to some ferocious hits on both sides of the ball, none bigger than the one senior tackle Noah Brennan laid on McNary quarterback Randy Ball midway through the second period. Brennan barreled into Ball an instant after he launched a long bass downfield. The hit left Ball on the turf for several minutes and, although he eventually got up and wobbled to the McNary sideline, he never returned to the game. "I got stuck inside on that play and never thought I’d get him," said Brennan, a 6-3, 235-pound senior. "I thought he was going to run out of bounds, but at the last second he turned right into me and I planted him." Brennan has played at an exceptionally high level the past three or four games. "I’m not stressing out like I used to," he said. "I’ve quit thinking so much and just started reacting. I’m having fun out there." Later in Friday’s game, senior defensive end Kantrell Collins gave Kyley McCrae — McNary’s standout running back who replaced Ball at quarterback — the same treatment that Brennan did. It was that kind of night for the Celtics, who were outplayed in every phase of the game. "That’s probably the most physical we’ve been since I’ve been at South," said Singler, whose team won its eighth straight game and improved to 10-1 overall. "Our line did a great job and I think they (McNary) underestimated how tough our backs are." Singler was equally proud of his team’s tidy execution. Senior quarterback Jon Weaver completed 10 of 13 passes for 207 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions as the Panthers didn’t commit a single turnover and had only two penalties for 25 yards. South Medford is playing championship-caliber football right now, and will need a similar effort next week when it travels to Lake Oswego — the team that put a blemish on its record early this season — in a quarterfinals matchup. "We’re a lot better team now than we were then," Boyd said. Better up front and better physically, that’s for sure. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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