Palo Verde escapes Cheyenne after high-scoring affair

Five plays from scrimmage, 107 seconds and 21 points was all it took for the madness to begin Friday night between Palo Verde and Cheyenne.

Luckily for the Panthers, Brandon Wright kept scoring all night.

Wright scored five touchdowns, including a 31-yard run on Palo Verde’s first play from scrimmage, as the top-ranked Panthers held off a stiff challenge from host Cheyenne, 48-34.

The Desert Shields appeared unfazed against unbeaten Palo Verde (6-0, 4-0), answering Wright’s opening score on their first play when Kody Stahl launched a long ball to Marquise Hall down the left side for a 48-yard touchdown.

Palo Verde came back three plays later when Chappell Thomas broke free down the right sideline for a 72-yard score, and the Panthers built a 28-7 second-quarter lead.

Xavian Johnson brought Cheyenne (3-3, 3-2) as close as it would come, scoring on an 11-yard run and a 34-yard reception from Chris Spencer to make it 28-21 at halftime.

Wright proved to be too much to handle in the third quarter, though, turning up the speed to beat the Cheyenne defense down the right side for a 56-yard scoring run and then responding to a Desert Shields touchdown by bursting up the middle for an 81-yard kickoff return touchdown.

Wright finished with 183 yards on 18 carries to pace Palo Verde, while Thomas ran for 121 yards on 12 carries.

Palo Verde needed all of its big offensive effort because Cheyenne more than doubled the amount of points (14) given up in five previous games by the Panthers. Switching almost exclusively to an air attack after halftime, the Desert Shields kept Palo Verde off balance with four different quarterbacks completing passes from a spread offense.

Stahl led Cheyenne with 204 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 14-of-23 passing. Johnson threw for 65 yards on 3-of-8 passing. Both quarterbacks, however, left the game with injuries in the fourth quarter.

Chris Spencer also threw a pair of touchdowns for Cheyenne.