Friday was a day that the Panther family will never forget! After losing to the Hays Indians for five years in a row, seven years on the road, the Panthers miraculously turned that around. With a halftime score of 18-21, Hays had us under their feathers. Shortly after the third quarter started, the Panthers forced a turnover as Hays fumbled the ball, which prompted a comeback by the Panthers. By the time the third quarter was over, the score was 32-21. Beginning the fourth quarter, the Panther offense sputtered and Hays found a way to score a touchdown one last time. After that, the Panthers knew they had to up their game for the remaining 7:04. After a 47-yard pass from Jacob Murray to Bryce Lytle, the Panthers scored their final touchdown, putting the score at 40-29 to end the game.

“The win against Hays was a huge confidence booster for our players. The kids have worked hard and are earning every bit of their success. It’s been a long time coming and it feels great to get a win, especially against Hays.” expresses Coach Manwarren of the big win.

“It was an awesome rivalry experience with competition thick in the air. Really exciting game, both teams played well,” said Dominique Ridaeux

“Both teams were really amped up for the game and we both made some really big plays. We just made more plays when we needed to as a team to get the win,” said Bryce Lytle

“The Hays game was definitely a success for Great Bend,” said Taylor Fuggit. “We had an amazing student section and the atmosphere was great. And to say the least, we were all far beyond proud of our boys. They did a fantastic job and I can’t wait to watch them play Garden City this Friday.”