Joseph Norwood filled up the stat book all night for Brainerd, but it wasn't enough as the Panthers fell to Sweetwater, 21-8, in a Region 3-3A game.
Norwood finished with three carries for 56 yards, five receptions for 67 yards, one completion for an 11-yard touchdown, double-digit tackles and an interception.
Speaking of his star player after the game, Brainerd coach Tyrus Ward said, "He's a heck of a player, one of the best athletes I've ever coached. Most of his playing time in his high school career has been at wide receiver, so for him to make the plays he's making on defense is unbelievable."
The first half was a defensive battle, with the Wildcats (3-1, 2-0) taking a 7-0 lead into the break. Brainerd (0-5, 0-2) was outgained 182-75 in the first 24 minutes but maintained a bend-but-don't-break mentality.
The Panthers' defense forced a turnover on downs on Sweetwater's first possession of the game with 8:34 remaining in the first quarter. Brainerd recovered a Wildcats fumble on their next possession to keep the game scoreless.
However, Sweetwater took the ball over after a fumble with 2:59 remaining in the second stanza. Senior quarterback Riley Turpeinen led a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended with him lateraling the ball to Drew Hicks, who threw to Matthew Kile in the end zone to put the Wildcats ahead for good with 42 seconds remaining in the half.
"That's been our Achilles' heel this year - fumbling on offense. It's something we work on religiously," Ward said. "We just have to keep on finding that right guy. We just have to put together a team effort from the running back committee, just holding onto the ball."
The third quarter seemed to get off to a good start for the Panthers when they returned the opening kickoff 37 yards to their own 49-yard line. But things turned quickly when freshman quarterback Xiyeer Lattimore had his third-and-9 throwback screen pass intercepted by senior defensive end Meechie Oggs, who returned the ball 50 yards for a touchdown to make the score 14-0 with 11:03 left in the third quarter.
It was then Norwood's turn to impact the game again. He was inserted by Ward into the wildcat formation, resulting in a 50-yard run on third-and-15 from the Panthers' 39-yard line. From the Wildcats' 11, Norwood set up again in the wildcat and threw a beautiful fade pass that was caught by Jesse Walker in the end zone. Then, on a two-point conversion, Norwood pitched the ball to Jalen Wofford, who reversed field and scooted into the end zone to cut the deficit to 14-8 with 9:41 remaining in the third quarter.
Later, Sweetwater's backup quarterback, Hunter Jenkins, came in and orchestrated an eight-play, 59-yard drive to push the Wildcats' lead to 21-8 with 3:44 left in the third.
Brainerd's Jalen Pinkerton picked off a Jenkins pass in the closing seconds of the third to set the Panthers up in Sweetwater territory, but a six-play, 31-yard drive was halted at the goal line on a fourth-and-goal run by Norwood with 9:38 left in the fourth quarter, ending Brainerd's last real threat of the game.
"It's big. At that point it's just effort," Ward said. "It's just what team wants to get in and what team wants to get the stop. We put the ball in our best player's hands and just came up short."
Contact Thomas Black at sports@timesfreepress.com