Fisher Leads Parkway to 38-27 Victory Over Minster

By Bruce Monnin

ROCKFORD — There were two big factors coming into this Friday’s MAC contest at Parkway. The Minster Wildcats entered this game with a 4-0 record this season in road games, and the visiting team had won the last two games in this series. The other factor was that Josh Fisher was finally healthy again for the Parkway Panthers. This turned out to be decisive, as Fisher rushed for 210 yards and four touchdowns to lead Parkway to a 38-27 victory over the Wildcats.

With his four scores, Fisher set the new Parkway record with 30 career touchdowns. “He’s just a fantastic young man and a good football player,” complimented Parkway coach Ed Kuhn. “You see what he can do when he is healthy.”

Fisher seemed to either keep the ball on the option or pitch it to a teammate most every play, carrying the ball 32 times himself. “That was part of our plan coming in, and if it works, keep doing it,” added Kuhn.

It didn’t take long for Parkway to dent the endzone as on the second play of the game Logan Hunter took a pitch from Fisher and sprinted 65 yards for a touchdown. It appeared Minster would immediately answer as Brian Mueller broke away for a 62-yard touchdown on the Wildcats first play, but a yellow hankie on the field brought the play back. Ty Whitford gained 37 yards on the next play and it appeared both defenses were in for a long night. But the Panthers stiffened and stopped Minster on a fourth-down play at the Parkway 15-yard line.

Later in the quarter, Chase Paxson hit Robert Gruber on the jailbreak screen and Gruber went for 53 yards. Two plays later Whitford ran in from seven yards out and the Wildcats took a 7-6 lead.

Parkway immediately answered, as they did all night. The Panthers covered 76 yards in five running plays, with Fisher going over from one yard out to reclaim a 12-7 lead at the end of the first period.

Minster countered with a 15 play, six-minute drive to the Panther 12-yard line, where they were again stopped on a fourth-down play. Parkway fumbled the ball right back to the Wildcats, who scored on the next play as Paxson connected with Jack Griner for a 19-yard scoring strike. The Wildcats had their last lead of the night, 14-12.

Parkway took the lead for good just before half as they ran the ball nine straight times, with Fisher again scoring from five yards out to give the Panthers a 18-14 lead. Minster used the last minute to again drive to the Parkway 24-yard line, but for the third time in the half were stopped on fourth down.

The Parkway defense dominated the Wildcats in the third quarter, and the offense scored with Fisher taking it in from 18 yards out. Then on the first play of the fourth quarter Fisher threw to Matt Dugan for a 23-yard touchdown pass, and the Panthers seemed secure with a 31-14 lead.

Then the Minster offense suddenly sprung to life in the fourth quarter as Paxson completed a 65-yard touchdown pass to Mueller. Another Parkway fumble gave the ball to the Wildcats in great field position, and again Minster capitalized in one play, a 24-yard touchdown pass to Griner that narrowed the score to 31-27 in favor of the Panthers with 8:38 remaining in the game.

After a failed onside kick, the Wildcat defense held, and Minster had a chance to regain the lead. But the opportunity died when Matt Dugan intercepted a Paxson pass. Four plays later, Parkway faced a fourth down with 15 yards to go, but Fisher gained 21 yards to keep the drive alive. Four plays later on fourth down and goal from the five, Fisher again kept the pigskin and scored his fourth touchdown of the night to seal the 38-27 win.

After winning their first two games of the season, Parkway had suffered five straight defeats in MAC play. “The guys showed some great resiliency. We had some tough weeks,” admitted Parkway coach Ed Kuhn. 
 

3-5 Parkway hits the road next week to take on 2-6 New Bremen. Minster, now 5-3, returns home to face undefeated and top ranked Coldwater.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Parkway  12  6  6  14  —  38
Minster   7   7   0   13   —   27