IOWA FALLS, IOWA -- With a number of former ECC football players back to take part in the weekend Homecoming celebration, this year's edition of the Panthers put together their best offensive game of the season in a 63-6 victory over Gordon Fine Arts Sports Academy on Saturday.
Ellsworth tallied nine touchdowns in the rout and eight different Panthers reached the end zone in the team's second win of the year. ECC scored at least two TDs in every quarter and forced seven turnovers.
The Panthers' first score of the afternoon came on their first possession. QB Josh Bauer hooked up with Marcus Hardy on a 13-yard scoring strike. The advantage grew to 20-0 on a pair of TD passes from Bauer to Darrius Jackson, the first from 13 yards out and the second covering 32 yards. Jackson had also caught a TD pass in the Iowa Western game the week before. After Marice Whitlock found paydirt from 12 yards Ellsworth went into the halftime break ahead 27-6. Gordon's only points of the day came after a fumbled punt by ECC in the 2nd stanza.
The second-half scoring began with a 1-yard burst by Cade Flaugh, who then added the 2-point conversion. Jonathan Forson, who was named the ICCAC Defensive Player of the Year after his freshman campaign, picked off a pass and raced 90 yards for a score to add to the lead. In the 4th period, ECC's Marvin Woods intercepted passes on consecutive snaps. He ran the first one back for a touchdown only to have the play called back. The next pick, on the very next play, set up a 30-yard scoring scamper by Trent Lane. Leonardo Araujo and Will Darden also got into the end zone in the 4th quarter on TD runs of 12 and 5 yards, respectively.
The Panthers will have next weekend off in preparation for their final two games of the season, both on the road. They'll play those contests at Iowa Central and at the College of DuPage.
