Rams earn their rest with 55-20 win over Charleston

CHARLESTON — Mark Panagos scored four touchdowns in three different ways to lead the Scott City Rams to a 55-20 win over Charleston on Thursday, Oct. 12, in Charleston, Mo.

However, that fourth touchdown could belong to someone else. While the star senior quarterback rushed 60 yards toward the end zone, he flicked the football to his lineman, fellow senior Levi Senn, on the 1-yard line in an attempt to reward him with the score.

“I have to give back what they do for me,” Panagos said of his offensive line. “I mean, they do everything. If we don’t have them, we don’t have a team. Everything starts up front with the line. They don’t get as much recognition as they should.”

Panagos didn’t have to do much throwing to win. His longest pass came on a 45-yard bomb to senior wide receiver Gavin Venable. He ran for 159 Yards, including a 44-yard touchdown for the first score of the game.

“He's starting to get healthier,” Scott City head coach Jim May said of Panagos. “Each and every week, he gets a little bit better.”

Panagos also scored a touchdown on an interception and fumble recovery. While he starred on defense, the unit’s performance against battered Blue Jays is seen as a cause for concern by May.

Charleston scored on two rushing touchdowns by Ko'Terrion Owens and on a pass to Byron Jones.

“We got to step up tackle,” May said. “We were doing too much grabbing and not enough tackling. That was the whole story of the night. Not very thrilled with it, but we got a couple of weeks here to work on it to get it fixed, and hopefully we'll do better.”

Panagos wasn’t the only one dominating the ground game for the Rams. Jackson Goth’s only carry resulted in a 44-yard rushing touchdown.

Tyson Underwood rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns to boost his season total to 1,002 yards and 20 touchdowns (19 rushing and one receiving).

Because of Doniphan canceling the remainder of its season, Scott City will have a bye before the start of the Class 2 District 1 playoffs. May is hoping that the rest would lead to more health and a better chance at a deep run.

“That’s always going to be important as far as health all the way around. We’re not real deep,” May said. “Maybe it's give us a chance to get healed and maybe we'll come out with increased vigor because the last two weeks have not been real thrilled with our effort.”

Despite suffering leg injuries at the beginning of the season and being 80 percent entering this game, Panagos would prefer to play next week.

“Because that's where the mentality really comes in,” Panagos said. “How much we really want it, because after next week, it's do or die. If we lose, it's over.”