Football Panthers even record with win in home opener
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ A dominant ground attack led by Neil Kellerman (66 yards) and J.D. Conner (52 yards) helped propel Pinckneyville to a 28-14 victory over visiting West Frankfort on Friday night at Quillman Field, as the Panthers won without completing a single pass in the game.
"Our kids did what they needed to do to win," said Pinckneyville head coach Tod Rushing. "Our offensive line blocked very well tonight and our backs did a great job of running hard."
"What I was really happy with was they finished the runs, they didn't get one or two yards and go down, they got their shoulders down and got some extra yards."
A Panther fumble on the opening drive didn't get things going the way the hometown crowd was hoping, but just three plays into the Redbirds' drive that followed, Cole Kellerman picked off Addison Eggersten to give the Panthers possession near midfield.
Neither team would sniff the red zone until Conner broke a 15-yard run down to the Redbirds' 20-yard line on the last play of the first quarter.
N. Kellerman and C. Kellerman each had runs to set up first-and-goal at the eight, and N, Kellerman took it in from there for Pinckneyville's first points of 2010. Caleb Howard's kick made it 7-0 Panthers with 10:45 to go in the half.
Frankfort responded with a 77-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 10-yard pass from Eggersten to Hadin Restivo, who was wide open for the score with 4:54 left in the second quarter. The Redbirds converted a pair of fourth downs on the drive, including a fourth-and-ten where Eggersten scrambled past the marker for four fresh downs.
A quick three-and-out by the Pinckneyville offense gave Frankfort another shot just before the half, but Brandon Long intercepted Eggersten to end the threat.
A block in the back penalty on Frankfort following a first-and-ten at their own 19-yard line set up first-and-20 at the five just moments into the second half. On second-and-19, Eggerston was pressured heavily by Sabin Kohut and C. Kellerman, forcing a throw that was grabbed by Adam Barczewski for the Panthers and returned for six points.
An offsides call on the extra point attempt gave Rushing the opporunity to make it a two-score game by going for two, and N. Kellerman dove through the line for the conversion and a 15-6 Pinckneyville lead with 11:03 remaining in the third.
After the defense forced a quick punt, the Pinckneyville offense tacked onto their lead with a clock-eating 8 minute, 45 second drive that mercifully came to an end for Frankfort when Howard punched it in from 1 yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter.
During the drive, punter Marian Brammeier was called upon to kick on fourth-and-three from Panther territory, but a bad snap forced him to improvise. Brammeier took off to the right side for an 11-yard run and a first down.
"That really turned the game around," Rushing said. "He made a nice play, didn't panic, and showed his athleticism."
Eggertsen took to the air again, cutting the lead to 21-14 after a 66-yard drive was completed with a 23-yard pass to Ben Cunningham.
Pinckneyville was too much, however, as N. Kellerman took the kickoff back to the 50 yard line to set up another scoring drive for the Panthers, as they continued to chew up the clock by running the football.
N. Kellerman's second touchdown came with 2:09 left in the game from 8 yards out.
"We gave up a few more yards than I wanted to but I was proud of them, they made the stops when they needed to," Rushing said.
Howard (29 yards), C. Kellerman (21), Justin Hale (210 and Dalton Hubler (20) rounded out the ground attack for Pinckneyville, which totaled 225 rushing yards in the game.
The Panthers (1-1) are at home again in week three when they take on Benton, and their lineup will see the returns of lineman Clinton Graff and defensive back Taylor Beninati.
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