The People’s Tribune

Bobcats Season Ends With Loss In District Semifinal To Monroe City

After taking care of rival Clopton-Elsberry at home in the district opener a week prior, the Bowling Green Bobcats faced another level of competition in the semifinal at Monroe City on Friday night.

The top-seeded Panthers lived up to their reputation, amassing 550 yards of total offense to end the Bobcats season in a 48-12 final.

Monroe City won the Class 1 championship last season and finished second the year prior at state, haven’t been deterred by the jump to Class 2 this year.

The Panthers won the coin toss and went right to work on the Bobcats on Friday night.

In just seven plays and two and a half minutes the Panthers took the lead when Gage Bottoms came out of the backfield for a 20-yard scoring run and a 6-0 lead.

Bowling Green was moving the ball on their first offensive series, converting a first down and creeping toward mid-field before Austin Callahan had a pass tipped at the line and into the arms of linebacker Gatlin Bichsel.

The turnover led to another Panthers score exactly five minutes after the first when quarterback Blake Hays connected with Zach Osborn for a 16-yard score.

The Bobcats, down 12-0 after the first quarter, were forced to punt on the second play of the second.

The Callahan punt pinned Monroe City at their own two yard line, but the Panthers still managed to score quickly as a run of twenty-three yards moved the home squad away from their goal-line and Osborn scored his second on a 42-yard run to increase the lead to 20.

The Bobcat defense stopped the Monroe City offense with 5:22 left in the first half, giving the offense the ball at their own 45 yard line.

Bowling Green went to the air and found success as Callahan connected with Matt Kay to convert a long first down. He found the senior again for a 41-yard score to get the Bobcats on the board.

Down 20-6 at the half would have been encouraging, especially with the Bobcats set to receive the opening kick in the third quarter, but Osborn struck again. The talented back torched the Bobcats for a 54-yard TD to restore the 20-point Monroe City advantage before the teams went to the locker rooms.

The second half start was a back-breaker for Bowling Green.

Callahan was picked off on the first play from scrimmage and Monroe scored on the very next play, then again quickly after a Bowling Green three and out.

By the end of the third the Panthers had recovered an on-side kick, scored again and led 48-6 to trigger a running clock on the Bobcats.

Bowling Green added a touchdown in the forth, capping an eight play drive with a Nick Breakfield touchdown on a short run.

The Bobcats finished their season second in the EMO conference with a 7-4 record.

The Panthers will host (2) Clark County on Friday in the district title game. The Indians shut out (3) Palmyra in their semifinal 36-0 to reach the championship game.

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