From Staff Reports

The Riverchase Middle School football team improved to 5-0 in conference play Oct. 7 with a win over John Carroll.

The Panthers downed the Cavaliers 21-18, giving John Carroll its first conference loss.

Panther defensive leaders in the game were Matthew Messler, Austin Barclay, Kenny Hoover, Cory Dodson, Tray Jones, Desmond Kersh, Easton Ancelet, Austin London Sam Finnerty, Kem Muruako and Cole Whitman.

On their first possession of the game, the Panthers drove the ball down the field and scored on a pass from quarterback Hunter Stovall to Taylor Petty. Kicker Austin Bowen added the extra point to put Riverchase up 7-0.

Several possessions later, John Carroll picked off a Riverchase pass, setting up a Cavalier touchdown. But John Carroll missed its two-point conversion, leaving the score at 7-6.

The Cavaliers added another touchdown in the second quarter, but again missed the two-point conversion, giving John Carroll a 12-7 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Riverchase regained the lead on a 50-yard Stovall touchdown run. Bowen added the extra point, putting the Panthers up 14-12.

John Carroll answered in the fourth quarter on a short touchdown run, giving them the edge 18-14.

With little more than 2 minutes left in the game, Riverchase benefited from a face mask call against John Carroll, setting the Panthers up on the Cavalier 15 yard line. However, the Cavaliers stopped the Panthers on fourth down, and regained possession.

The Panther defense stopped John Carroll and forced the Cavaliers to punt the ball with about 20 seconds left in the game.

Stovall received the punt on the Riverchase 40 yard line, and broke several tackles and stiff-armed several John Carroll defenders before finding the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.