Goddard ends Panthers’ 24-game winning streak

While offense stumbles, defense struggles to contain veteran Goddard offense

Kaitlyn Sanders

Goddard beat top-ranked Derby 50-20 on Friday night, handing the Panthers their first loss since 2015. Derby had a 24-game winning streak.

The Goddard student section chanted “your streak’s over.”

Derby last lost to Mill Valley during the 2015 season.

The Lions avenged their 2016 loss at Derby, when the Panthers won 35-6 in a weather-shortened game that was called at half.

Goddard scored three of its seven touchdowns in Friday’s first quarter, while Derby couldn’t muster one..

The Panthers, the two-time defending Class 6A champion, finally scored at the 10:08 mark of the second quarter when junior quarterback Hunter Igo threw to senior Jack Taylor for a 56-yard touchdown to get within 22-6.

But Goddard led 43-6 at halftime.

In the last two quarters of the game, the Derby defense held the Goddard offense to only one touchdown, but failed to thrive offensively.

Igo broke through Goddard’s defense with 7:59 to go in the third quarter running with a 67-yard touchdown run. Senior Brody Kooser was successful on the two-point conversion.

Keeping the momentum, Derby recovered junior Jackson Syring’s onside kick. But Goddard intercepted Igo about a minute later.

Derby’s final touchdown — a 21-yard run by Kooser — came in the final two minutes of the third.

Etc. — Igo and sophomore Grant Adler both played quarterback, switching approximately eight times during the course of the game.