Paola reigns in the rain, 28-7

Fort Scott's Marcus Stepps (6) hauls in a pass during the first quarter of play versus Paola Friday night at Frary Field. Stepps caught 5 passes for 36 yards for the Tigers in a 28-7 loss to the Panthers that concluded regular-season play. Fort Scott, the runner-up in Class 4A-Division I District 4 as a result of the loss, will play at Eudora in the Regional round of the playoffs Friday night. Paola, the district champion, will face DeSoto at home. (Kenny Felt/Special to the Tribune)

Paola controlled the line of scrimmage most of the night and its ground game proved superior in the rainy conditions at Frary Field Friday night as the Panthers rolled by Fort Scott High, 28-7, in what was a de facto Class 4A-Division I District 4 championship game

Both teams were assured of playoff berths coming in. Fort Scott (2-1 District, 7-2 overall) finished second and must go on the road Friday night to take on District 3 champion Eudora (6-3) in a Regional playoff game. Paola (8-1) has the luxury of playing at home in the first round and will face DeSoto (6-3), which qualified as the District 3 runner-up after defeating Ottawa, 21-6.

The Panthers gained 271 yards in total offense, all of it on the ground. They were especially proficient in attacking the right side of the Tigers' defensive line, finding their biggest gains there.

But it wasn't a Paola running play that ultimately put Fort Scott in a deeper hole than it could climb out of. It was a defensive play, forcing a fumble deep in Tiger territory that Dalton Rankin picked up at the 11-yard line and made the short jaunt into the end zone to make the score 21-0 just 46 seconds into the second half.

After forcing a punt, the Panthers devoured over six minutes of game time with a 12-play, 62-yard drive capped by Rankin's 13-yard touchdown run with 2:44 left in the period.

The Tigers only score came on a well-executed slip screen pass play from Kaleb DeLaTorre to De'Vonte Robinson from 35 yards out with 8:51 remaining in the game.

Although the Panthers didn't score on their next possession, the time they consumed, about five minutes, was just as hurtful to the Tiger effort as if they had scored. Paola pinned Fort Scott back at its own 6-yard line with just 3:44 remaining. The Tigers were unable to make any headway and had to punt the ball back.

Even with 2:07 left, Paola was content to kneel on the ball four times.

The Tigers were held to 63 yards rushing on 31 carries with no one able to gain 30 yards on the night. DeLaTorre threw for 106 yards but was just 8 of 17, the rain and wind affecting his throws on occasion but also a victim of a couple of calls that did not go the Tigers' way. He did, however, pass the 1,000-yard mark in passing for the season. Only 10 Tigers are known to have thrown for 1,000 yards or more and DeLaTorre currently has 1,079, the eighth-most on the all-time list for FSHS.

Marcus Stepps caught 5 of DeLaTorre's passes for 36 yards.

Fort Scott's defense forced Paola to go 3-and-out on its first possession. The Tigers took over at the Panthers' 44 but turned the ball over on downs on fourth-and-5 at the 29.

Paola's abuse of the Fort Scott line began immediately with wingback Nathan Staats and quarterback Ryan Gleghorn making headway. Gleghorn scored the first touchdown by sliding around the right side of the line and scampering 26 yards with 3:10 on the clock.

Fort Scott held the ball for for nearly eight minutes on the ensuing possession. DeLaTorre found Stepps for 9 yards to convert fourth-and-4 at the Paola 22. But on fourth down and 3 from the 6, a pass intended for Stepps in the end zone went incomplete. It appeared that Stepps and his defender got tangled up in the end zone, but the contact was apparently ruled incidental.

Away withstanding a 16-play, 69-yard drive by the Tigers, Paola took over at moved 93 yards in 4:57. Staats carried the ball the last four plays of the drive, scoring from 5 yards out with 2:14 left in the half to make it 14-0.

Staats rushed 20 times for 145 yards while Gleghorn added 15 on 96 carries.

Fort Scott's playoff game with Eudora kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday night.

NOTES -- Independence (7-2) won Class 4A-Division I District 5 with a 22-7 win at Augusta. Will Schabel scored twice for the Bulldogs, including a 72-yard run in the first quarter. Indy will host Andover Central (7-2) Friday night....

Pittsburg settled for the runner-up position in Class 5A District 4 following a 35-3 loss to defending State runner-up St. Thomas Aquinas in Pittsburg. The Purple Dragons face a Regional road trip to Shawnee-Mill Valley (8-1) Friday night. Aquinas (7-2) will host Lenexa St. James (8-1)...