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ADRIAN – The Adrian Antelope football team took the occasion of the first round of the OSAA 1A state playoffs to unveil a new scoreboard on Friday, Nov. 5. The previous scoreboard was missing more than a few lights and after a score, individual math sometimes was needed on the part of fans to decipher the true score. With the Imbler Panthers in town for round one, one thing is still not known-do the numbers on the away team’s score really change as the Lopes held the Panthers scoreless in a 58-0 victory.
The top ranked Antelopes dominated the Panthers throughout the game, putting the matchup into a running clock situation with the start of the third quarter.
Adrian wasted little time to determine if the home side of the new scoreboard was working. Just 30 seconds into the game, Jace Martin found the opening in the middle of the field and went 51 yards to place the first points on the new board. After a Panther punt, it was Jace Martin again, this time on a 41-yard run at the 8 minute, 37 second mark in the first quarter. Two offensive possessions and Adrian was up 14-0.
Conley Martin then joined the scoring with a 21-yard run at the 5:11 mark. The passing game was responsible for the fourth score as Jace Bateman hooked up with Riley Griffin for a 28-yard pass and score. At the end of the first quarter, Adrian was firmly in command, 30-0.
Jace Martin picked up his third score of the game on Adrian’s first possession of the second quarter, going 60 yards into the end zone. Jace Martin’s defensive skills were responsible for the next score as he picked off a Panther pass, returning the ball back to up the Lope score to 46-0.
Adrian upped the score to 52-0 before the half off a 34-yard run by Bateman.
With the clock running though out the second half, Robert Garza placed the final score of the game by way of a 3-yard run.
“We were just locked in the whole game and did our jobs,” said Adrian senior Gavin Bayes. “We trust each other and kept out all distractions.”
Photo Gallery – Adrian v Imbler – John Braese
Bayes led the defensive effort for the Lopes with 14 tackles with two of those resulting in Imbler losses.
“We played well tonight,” said Conley Martin. “We are back to work Monday and prepare for next week’s game. We approach every game the same way-prepare and play to our potential.”
The Antelopes will play host again, this time to Dufur on Saturday, Nov. 13 with game time scheduled for 1 p.m. The game is a repeat of one just two weeks ago at the league crossover tournament on Oct. 29. At that game, the Lopes downed the Rangers 62-6.
