Panchick's score capped a 48-yard scoring drive that was started
when defensive end Joe Millings (Copley/Copley) forced a
fumble on a high snap to Capital quarterback Marty Assmann
that defensive lineman Lambert Budzinski (Canton/Massillon Jackson)
fell on to give the ball back to the Purple Raiders.
After the fumble, quarterback Kurt Rocco (Cincinnati/Roger
Bacon) completed a pair of passes, 24 yards to Panchik and 17 yards
to A.J. Claycomb (Medina/Medina) to get the ball down to the
Capital seven yard line.
Two plays later, Panchick scored what turned out to be the
game-winner and extend the Raiders regular season win streak to 38
games and consecutive regular road win streak to 92 games.
Capital drove the ball down to the Mount Union 38 yard line
before the game ended.
Rocco finished with his first 300-yard passing performance
of the season as he went 21-for-31 for 314 yards and a pair of
scores as he led an offense that out-gained Capital 407-378
Capital signal caller Marty Assmann was 17-of-31 for 249 yards
and two scores.
Rocco's two touchdowns went to Cecil Shorts III
(Cleveland/Collinwood), who had a game-high nine catches for
91 yards and tight end Kyle Miller (Elida/Elida) who
caught a 36-yarder with 8:17 left in the game that tied the score
at 21-21.
Rocco's touchdown pass to Shorts started the scoring midway
through the first quarter and gave the Raiders a 7-0 lead.
Capital tied the game on a one-yard run from Assmann midway
through the second quarter and took a 14-7 lead when Assmann hit
Matt White on a 32-yard touchdown pass with 54 seconds left in the
half.
Rocco then led Mount Union down the field covering 74 yards on
five plays and taking just 26 seconds as Panchick ran in from a
yard out to tie the game at 14-14 at the break.
Capital would take the lead again, 21-14 early in the
fourth quarter as Assmann hit Dominic D'Andrea from 23 yards
out.
The Mount Union defense would come up big in the fourth quarter
as they held the Crusaders to 60 yards on 14 plays for the
quarter.
Mount Union stays on the road taking on Heidelberg next Saturday
at 1:30 pm in Tiffin
