ROXANA — The Roxana Shells kicked off their football season with a 30-18 victory over the Jersey Panthers Friday night at home.
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The Shells struck first when quarterback Cohen Dugan connected with Dalton Carriker on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter. Roxana converted the two-point attempt to take an 8-0 lead.
The second quarter saw back-and-forth scoring. Jersey’s Trevor Tucker ran a handoff into the end zone, narrowing the score to 8-6 with 11:23 left in the quarter, although the extra point attempt failed.
Roxana responded as Mekhi Shorter ran 22 yards for a touchdown, marking the first of three scores for him on the night. Jersey answered again when quarterback Andrew Koenig ran eight yards for a touchdown with 5:47 remaining.
Roxana added two points on a safety with 2:11 left before halftime, when Terry Styles made a tackle in the end zone. The Shells led 16-12 at the break.
“We knew what it was going to be like. Jersey is big and strong and we knew it would come down to the end of the game and we were able to put together enough drives to win,” Roxana coach Wade DeVries said.
Jerseyville Panthers at Roxana Shells Football
The third quarter belonged to Roxana as Shorter scored his second touchdown of the night on a 38-yard run with 7:33 left, extending the lead to 23-12.
In the final quarter, Shorter completed his hat trick with a one-yard touchdown run at 11:47, pushing the Shells’ lead further. Jersey managed one last score when Koenig ran five yards for a touchdown late in the game.
Roxana’s 30-18 win marked a strong start to their season as they defeated a competitive Jersey Panthers squad.
