Panthers go big in victory
BLOOMSBURG — Bloomsburg's coaching staff was seen wearing bright yellow T-shirts saying "Think Big" in support of pediatric cancer research Friday night.
The Panthers received the message, executing plays on both offense and defense and picking up their first win of the season, 43-14, over Midd-West.
Nobody played a bigger role in the win than quarterback Wyatt Brosious. The sophomore spread the ball around, hitting five different receivers — four of them multiple times — to the tune of 312 yards and five touchdowns.
The results remain a work in progress, but assistant coach Josh Klingerman has taken it upon himself to continuously help Brosious. He takes time with the sophomore to study film and read defensive schemes.
"Wyatt is starting to understand the system and reads and so on," Bloomsburg coach Mike Kogut said. "The receivers are doing great, especially in the scramble drill, when Wyatt can make some things happen with his legs."
It paid dividends Friday.
Brosious carved the Mustangs early with a pair of 4-yard touchdowns to Brady Horan and Gabe Dube in the first quarter. He carved them often by finding Dube for two more scores in the second quarter.
Dube finished with seven receptions for 68 yards and three scores. Horan, meanwhile, posted a game-high 97 receiving yards on three catches. Jack Katulis added five receptions for 55 yards.
"I was really confident tonight, and I think confidence makes a big difference in an overall game," Brosious said. "The line did great, the receivers caught the ball and did great and the coaches made great calls — we all did amazing."
Brosious had a game to remember, but the shirts' message resonated with Cole Davis, a leukemia survivor who was featured in the Press Enterprise's Week 2 Playbook. An honorary captain who received a pregame standing ovation, Davis' big night didn't end at midfield during the coin flip.
Instead, he started off the second half scoring by breaking an ankle tackle and scampering off with a 51-yard rushing touchdown. He later added a 5-yard touchdown reception on a flat route — Brosious' fifth — to end the Panthers' scoring.
"Cole Davis ... What a story. What a night for him. To do it on a night where we talk about pediatric cancer and the things that he's gone through," Kogut said. "You talk about a warrior. There's no other description for that kid other than being a warrior.
"So I'm super happy for him to do that. And I'm happy to get our run game going and we have to because people are going to gang up on the pass."
Rising to occasion
Just as strong was the Panthers' stifling defense.
Kogut opted to go for it on fourth down three times in the first half, failing once late. It almost came back to hurt Bloomsburg as the Mustangs drove to the Panthers' 5-yard-line. Had Midd-West scored, it would have made it a two-possession game with the Mustangs getting the ball back to start the second half.
The Panthers, instead, got a turnover on downs and ran the clock out.
"Our coaches at halftime said 'our defense bailed you out', but I felt our defense was playing well enough," Kogut said. "If I have a gut feeling our defense is playing well enough, I'll go for it on fourth down."
No need to rush for the stomach relief.
The Panthers were quick to close running lanes and get after Midd-West quarterback Jasher Wolf all night. The Mustangs had 21 rushing plays go for 2 or less yards, including nine for loss of yards. The Panthers also forced more than half of Wolf's passes to fall incomplete, including Hunter Collett's first-quarter interception in his first varsity start.
The defense's only blemish was a first-quarter strike from Wolfe to a wide-open Kaden Kullman — who finished with four catches and 88 yards — for a 54-yard strike. Wolf also had a 13-yard rushing touchdown with the game well out of reach late in the fourth.
In the end, the home sidelines got to breathe a sigh of relief to have the No. 1 go into the win column for the first time this fall.
"I'm really happy for the kids. They've been working really hard, overcoming a lot of adversity, a lot of different things we're asking them to do," Kogut said. "We executed tonight and we had fun."
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