The Yellville-Summit Panthers concluded their 3A-2 conference football season with an emphatic 62-12 triumph over the Marshall Bobcats on Thursday night in Yellville, capturing the 'Battle of the Buffalo' trophy in the process.
Panthers quarterback Westin Swearingen showcased a stellar performance, leading his team to early dominance in the renewed rivalry game. Swearingen connected with Tatum Dodillet for a 31-yard touchdown pass to put Yellville-Summit on the board at 6-0. Shortly thereafter, an interception of a Marshall pass gave the Panthers favorable field position. Swearingen wasted no time, hitting Dodillet for a 38-yard completion before finding Kotlon Layton on a 10-yard touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion extended the Panthers’ lead to 14-0.
Still in the first quarter, Swearingen unleashed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Tellem Hall, increasing the margin to 20-0. The Bobcats responded with a 6-yard touchdown run, narrowing the gap to 20-6. However, Swearingen orchestrated another quick drive, completing a 38-yard pass to Easton Voight before running in a 13-yard touchdown himself. A two-point conversion pushed the Panthers’ lead to 28-6 before the first quarter came to an end.
Early in the second quarter, Swearingen connected with Voight for 11 yards and hit Dodillet for a 17-yard gain before finding Layton on a 37-yard pass. The drive culminated in a 2-yard touchdown pass to Isai Jose Matias, bringing the score to 34-6. Following an onside kick recovery, the Panthers extended their lead once again. Swearingen completed a 22-yard pass to Levi Kriel and finished the drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dodillet, followed by a two-point conversion run for a 42-6 advantage with 8:09 remaining in the half.
The scoring continued when Swearingen threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to Rusty Goodall, with Matias adding the extra point kick to stretch the lead to 49-6. Another Panthers touchdown, a 3-yard run by Hall, secured a 55-6 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Swearingen connected with Goodall for a 37-yard touchdown pass, and Matias’ extra point brought the score to 62-6. The Bobcats added one more touchdown in the fourth quarter with 9:42 left in the game to finalize the score at 62-12.
The win gave Yellville-Summit an impressive end to their conference season as they claimed the coveted rivalry trophy in commanding fashion.