Panthers headed back to final, and Fall River

The Maxwell High football team rallied for two touchdowns in a tumultuous fourth quarter to defeat No. 3 Burney in the Northern Section Div. V semifinals, 16-6, on Friday night.

Entering the final 12 minutes down 6-0 to the underdogs, the No. 2 Panthers survived two turnovers to pull ahead.

Gerardo Parra keyed the turnaround by recovering Macloud Luntey's blocked punt with 10 minutes to play after Burney's starting kicker and quarterback, Coby Frazier, injured his right leg.

Taking possession on the Raiders' 13-yard line, Maxwell capitalized after a defensive penalty when Eddie Hernandez tied the game on an 8-yard run.

Hernandez returned to the end zone moments later on a 2-point conversion, juggling the ball but hanging on as he broke the goal plane to put the Panthers ahead, 8-6.

Parra recovered a fumble on the Raiders' ensuing possession, but Maxwell coughed it up on a bad snap. Then Panthers lineman Joe Davis picked off a deflected pass for a third turnover in two minutes That set up the knockout punch.

The Panthers took control at midfield and trudged 48 yards in nine plays to drain the clock, with Hernandez capping the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run.

Burney was left with the near-impossible task of making up 10 points inside 3 minutes and the Panthers' secondary was able to defend Luntey's final air strike.

Hernandez rushed 22 times for 106 yards in a meager offensive night for both teams. Maxwell outgained the Raiders in total offense, 166 yards to Burney's 134.

Until Frazier's injury, the game was a defensive stalemate highlighted by his impressive exchanges of 50-yard punts with Maxwell sophomore James.

The Panthers (6-5) will have a rematch of last year's 14-13 championship loss to Fall River on the road next week, as the Bulldogs knocked out Mercy in the other semifinal.