OAK GROVE, Mo. - The Oak Grove Panthers delivered the first punch Friday night, almost immediately, but the Blair Oaks Falcons were the last team standing.
Blair Oaks won the Week 2 battle between the two state-ranked teams, overcoming a first-minute score to hold on and beat Oak Grove 28-20.
The Panthers, who were shut out against Richmond to open the season, scored on their first offensive play of the game. Jacob Pavlica ran past the Blair Oaks defense for a 62-yard touchdown just 18 seconds into the contest, giving Oak Grove a 6-0 lead.
"We talk to the kids about adversity all the time," Blair Oaks coach Terry Walker said. "They know whether adversity comes or not is not important. How you respond to it or choose to respond to it is what is important."
The Falcons chose to respond well. Their defense allowed just 63 yards against the 10th-ranked Panthers the rest of the half.
Blair Oaks, ranked No. 2 in Class 3, tied the game on their second possession with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Nolan Hair to Ben Thomas midway through the first quarter. The Falcons took the lead in the second quarter on an 11-yard run by Jake Van Ronzelen with 5:24 to play in the half, then went into halftime with a 20-6 lead following an 11-yard run by Hair in the final minute of the half.
Van Ronzelen finished the game with 19 carries for 140 yards.
Oak Grove running back Kenton Wilhoit made it a one-possession game with a 26-yard touchdown run at the 4:11 mark of the third quarter. The Falcons held the All-State junior to 60 yards rushing after he topped the 100-yard mark last week.
Blair Oaks added its final touchdown late in the third quarter. On fourth-and-inches, Hair pushed his way into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the night. The Falcons led 28-12 heading into the fourth quarter.
Tyler Hunter brought Oak Grove to within eight, scoring on a 36-yard run with 7:50 left in the game. The Panthers needed a stop and another touchdown, but the Falcons were able to run out the clock. The ensuing Blair Oaks drive fell short of the goal line after 16 plays, but Oak Grove would not regain possession of the ball until there were 8.4 seconds left.
Blair Oaks (2-0) will open Tri-County Conference play next Friday when it hosts Versailles. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
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