By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

SAND ROCK – Following last week’s thrashing against third-ranked Pisgah, Collinsville football coach Ernie Willingham wanted the Panthers to get back on track in the run game at Sand Rock.

Quintavious Rogers and Gavin Lang made sure the Panthers did just that.

Rogers ran for 87 yards on seven carries and scored three touchdowns in the first half. He also caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mason McAteer on the Panthers’ first offensive play.

On his only two touches of the game, Lang scored on runs of 62 and 70 yards in the first half as the Panthers routed Sand Rock 59-14 in Class 2A, Region 7 football action on Friday night.

“We didn’t run it very good last week, so we came out and wanted to start off with a precedent of that pretty good and let that open up our passing game,” Willingham said. “I thought we did a good job of both running and throwing.”

Sand Rock (1-4, 1-2) also aided Collinsville’s offensive barrage. The Wildcats committed three first-half turnovers which led to 17 Panther points as Collinsville (3-1, 2-1) built a 45-7 halftime advantage.

“It was our mistakes and penalties, the late hits and jumping off-sides that cost us,” Sand Rock coach Alan Heath said.

Already up 7-0 on the McAteer-to-Rogers connection, the Panthers’ Trey Smith recovered a Wildcat fumble just one play after the touchdown. That led to a Luis Ailon 27-yard field goal, which put the Panthers in front 10-0.

Collinsville scored again following a Sand Rock punt, this time on a 10-yard Rogers run. Another Wildcat punt yielded Lang’s 62-yard score, which put the Panthers up 24-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Sand Rock tried to bounce back in the second by putting together a 6-play, 69-yard drive that resulted in Kane Robison’s 53-yard touchdown run. Morgan Tucker’s extra point made it a 24-7 game with 9:16 remaining in the first half.

Sand Rock’s defense forced a punt on Collinsville’s next possession, but two plays later, another Wildcat fumble was recovered by the Panthers’ Sylas Adams. Four plays after the turnover, Rogers scored again on a 48-yard run to push the Panther lead to 31-7.

Lang scored on a 70-yard run with 3:16 to go before halftime, then another Wildcat fumble was recovered by Jeremiah Killian which resulted in another Rogers touchdown from 3 yards that gave Collinsville a 45-7 halftime advantage.

Hunter James and Kyler Beene added touchdown runs of 8 and 20 yards in the third quarter for the Panthers. Robison scored his second touchdown in between those Panther scores for the Wildcats.

Robison, a junior guard turned running back, finished with 146 yards on 21 carries with two scores to lead the Wildcats.

“Kane is coming along,” Heath said. “He looks good running the ball, but we just have to get him to hold on to it.”

McAteer completed 5-of-9 pass attempts for 99 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers. Lang caught three passes for 47 yards.

Prior to the game, Sand Rock honored its 1985 state championship team. Under then head coach Russell Jacoway, the Wildcats went a perfect 15-0, capped off with a 14-6 victory at Repton to win the Class 1A state title. It was the school’s first football state championship.

“It’s important that we recognize the success this program’s had historically,” Heath said. “We’re trying to get back at that level. That’s the ultimate goal. When we see them, that’s what we should think we want to do instead of think that it’s impossible.

“It’s all about buy-in. I think most of our kids have bought in now, but they’re just young and it’s tough. I’m hoping we can get over this loss tonight, come back on Monday ready to work and try and beat West End (at Walnut Grove on Friday).

Collinsville returns home on Friday to host Gaston for homecoming.

NOTE: With 6:06 remaining in the first half, Sand Rock freshman defender Brendon Lindsey suffered a hit on the field and came to the Wildcat sideline. He appeared to briefly pass out, prompting medical officials to quickly respond. Lindsey regained consciousness shortly thereafter and was taken to a local hospital.

Heath said he received an update on Lindsey at halftime and following the game.

“The best I understand he’s going to be okay,” Heath said. “We’re not really sure what happened, but he’s stable and breathing well.”