Playoffs are supposed to be the toughest part of the season for football teams, but the North Panthers are making look like one of the easiest.  After taking the first round off with a bye, North hosted the Norris Senators Thursday night and rolled to a 35-0 win.

With the win, the Panthers have clinched a berth in their second straight East Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association AAA state championship game.  The game will be played Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. in Jacksboro.

With the shutout, the Panthers achieved another feat Thursday night – their defense kept its streak going of not allowing a point all season.

The North offense got off to a bit of a slow start, as a Trent Elliott quarterback sneak and a Dakota Vincil extra point were the only points of the first quarter.  Nonetheless, the Panthers led 7-0 after one.

They opened up a bit more in the second quarter as Elliott found Vincil for a 25-yard TD strike on the first play of the second period.  Vincil's PAT missed, though, and the score held at 13-0.
After the defense forced another three and out, the offense went back to work with a two-play drive that was capped off on a 17-yard run by Lane Womack.  Elliott found Mark Rupinski in the back corner of the end zone for the conversion and North led 21-0 early in the second.

The Senators finally got a bit of drive going, as they moved 39 yards to the North 40, but the Panther defense held firm and got the offense the ball back.  The North offense took advantage of the possession, driving 43 yards in six plays.  The drive was capped when Ryan Weaver took a pitch to the left side and weaved his way to the end zone with 5.9 seconds left in the half.  Vincil hit the PAT and North led 28-0 at the break.

Neither team scored on each one's first possession of the half, but a big defensive play by North ignited the offense.  Norris faced a third and 18 from its own 27 when a halfback pass was intercepted by Mason Sharpe.  He returned it to the Norris 37, giving the offense a short field.
Four plays later the Panther offensive unit was in the end zone for the fifth time on the day, this time on a 25 yard run by Dylan Finley.  Vincil hit the PAT to secure the final score.

"It's easy when they are that coachable," Panther Head Coach Chris Wampler said after the game.  "They do what we ask them to do and they are ready to do it when we ask them.  I couldn't ask for a better group as a coach."

The Panther defense has now gone eight games – 32 quarters – without giving up a touchdown.  The only points the Panthers have allowed were on a kickoff return by CAK.
"We worked to keep that scoreless streak going, to be honest with you, because we felt like our kids earned the right to have that to go to the championship game.  They played hard, they worked hard, they did what it took," the coach said.

They have one game left this season, the championship game Saturday night at Jacksboro.  
It's the second championship appearance in two years for the Panthers – their only two years in existence.

"When we started this thing, the whole objective was to put the two middle schools together and to help the high school program.  And this has got to be a good start to that," Wampler said.
Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.