Number don't lie. All except one. The score supercedes all else.
The Russellville Panthers dominated time of possession, offensive snaps and the rushing game Friday. And they lost.
Despite maintaining control of the ball 23 of the first 32 minutes, including 17 of 20 minutes during the middle of the game, Russellville led only 14-7 when Paducah Tilghman intercepted a Panther pass with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter. During that classic control of the clock the Panthers had taken 41 snaps, the Blue Tornado 19
There's more. The Panthers had the ball for 28 and a half minutes during the game while Tilghman was in control only 19 and a half minutes.
Russellville ran 54 plays, counting four punts in the game. Tilghman's center hiked the ball just 37 times.
The Panthers piled up 13 first downs and the visitors just 7.
When it was over, though, Tilghman headed west as champion of Class 3A, Region I following a 21-14 win.
How could this happen?
Tilghman struck on two passing bombs for long touchdowns. The Blue Tornado scored the winning touchdown on a 54-yard return of a fumble recovery two-thirds of the way into the final quarter.
By then the Panthers were worn down by a bigger, deeper, just-as-athletic team. Tilghman is a traditional big school power. Russellville has reached the state finals six times in its true size class, winning the Class A state championship three times. The Panthes are playing up two classifications, and they have done remarkably well at it. They've not only won their district championship all three years they've been in 3A, but they haven't lost a single regular season game in their district. Additionally they've won four playoff games during that span, reaching the regional finals twice.
But with many more male students in school to choose from, Tilghman had the luxury of keepig fewer players on the field on both sides of the ball. Russellville's two-way players were showing their wear and tear by game's end.
Tilghman was able to platoon. The quarterback who threw the tying touchdown didn' play until late in the third quarter. The team's leading rusher on the season didn't carry the ball until the fourth quarter.
Damien Elam was the dominant player on the field early. The veteran Panther back ran for 37 yards on the second RHS play of the game. He had scored two touchdowns before Tilghman knew what had hit them. But he lost yardage on six of his last nine carries, including the last one when he fumbled 13 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Devonta Bryant, the other standout running back for the Panthers, struggled. He finished with a negative three yards on ine rushes. He had one regrettable series in which he fumbled a short kickoff and then pitched it back to Elam, who was tackled at his 10. Then on the ensuring series, he was almost stopped on a sweep, but elected to reverse his field, losing 14 yards on that final carry.
Another junior back, Kevin Temple, was hobbled and only rushed twice for a net no gain.
The passing game was also a no-show. Quarterback D.J. Quarles attempted five passes, completing only one for a single yard. Temple caught that one. Once he had a big pass play in his sights, only to see a pair of Panthers collide going for the ball.
Russellville's defense was strong most of the game, led by senior Darren Murphy.
So how did Russellville lead the game so long?
In addition to Elam's early heroics, the primary offensive force for the Panthers was the running of Quarles from the quarterback position. He called his own number 18 times and ran for an eye-popping 148 yards and most of the first downs. Coach John Myers' scouting report had discovered a weakness in the middle of the Tornado defense, and Quarles repeatedly exploited it with the help of the Panthers' offensive interior line. Five of Quarles' keepers went for double-figure yardage. Another five carries resulted in gains of five to nine yards.
The game turned when-- after 14 straight rushing plays to begin the third quarter--- Quarles rolled out to pass deep in Tilghman Tornado territory. The only one near the pass was a Tilghman player, who made the interception.
Just as Quarles was his team's leading rusher, starting Tilghman QB Chris Jackson was the man for the winners. He rushed 14 times for 40 of the visitor's 60 yards on the ground. He also threw 10 first-half passes, completing seven of them for 107 yards and a touchdown.
The Panthers' season ended with an 8-5 record. Russellville won 8 of its final 10 games, adding the district championship and regional runner-up spot to the trophy case.