JOHANNESBURG -- The rebuilding year keeps getting better and better for the Frankfort Panthers.
The Panthers earned their second straight Division 8 regional championship Friday at Johannesburg -- a year after losing several starters to graduation.
Frankfort (10-2) scored four times in the fourth quarter to break a close game wide open and beat Johannesburg-Lewiston 43-12. Next up is a semifinal showdown against either Crystal Falls Forest Park or Stephenson. Last year, the Panthers lost 8-6 to Forest Park in a semifinal played at Marquette's Superior Dome.
"We definitely wanted this," said Frankfort quarterback Dan Nugent after hitting on 10 of 14 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns and running the ball 17 times for 100 yards. "I can't explain how great this feels. After losing the way we did up there last year, we all wanted another crack at it. We'd love a rematch with Forest Park but it doesn't matter who it is. We're back in the semifinals and that's what we've been working toward all season."
Nugent said he wasn't surprised the Panthers reached the semifinals in spite of losing so many players to graduation.
"We have a core of players who believe in themselves," he said. "There was never any doubt in our minds we could do it."
Frankfort head coach Matt Stapleton agreed with his star quarterback.
"A year ago when the guys were walking off the field (after losing to Forest Park), they were already talking about coming back next year," he said. "Now it's 365 days later and we have the chance to do it again. I'm very happy for the guys and extremely proud of how hard they worked and dedicated themselves to getting better every week and living up to what last year's seniors did.
"This is two years in a row now in the semifinals and that's a great accomplishment. It says a lot about the kids."
Frankfort took a 14-6 lead into the fourth quarter of Friday's game. After defensive end Matt Nugent and linebacker Alex Hallan combined to stop Johannesburg QB Darren Dobbyn just short of a first down near midfield, the Panthers took over and used a 12-play, 50-yard drive to push their lead to 22-6 with 7:47 left to play.
After completing a 26-yard screen pass to wide receiver Jordan Lentz on fourth-and-9 from the Cardinals' 36 to keep the drive alive, Dan Nugent capped the drive with a one-yard plunge. He then passed to Nick Tondu for two points.
A fumble recovery at the Johannesburg 24-yard line by defensive lineman Justin Henister on the Cardinals' ensuing possession led to a Frankfort score on the next play when Nugent found Andrew Newbold on a slant-in pass over the middle. Alex Gokey booted the point after -- he made all five of his attempts in the game -- to make it 29-6 with 6:14 to go.
Though Johannesburg responded quickly when Joe Yeskey returned the kickoff 54 yards to set up Dobbyn's 41-yard touchdown run around end to trim the deficit to 29-12, the Panthers recovered the on-side kick and tallied again in the final minutes when Nugent broke loose from 13 yards.
Newbold, a safety on defense, scooped up a fumble and returned it 31 yards on the Cardinals' next drive to complete the scoring.
"Football is a game of momentum and breaks," said Johannesburg coach Fred Davis, who is retiring after 33 years with the team and 28 years as head coach. "You have to create your own momentum and we weren't able to do that.
"Our kids played hard the whole way and never lacked for effort. Frankfort is a good team. They spread our defense with their gaps on the offensive line and that caused us some problems. Their quickness got to us tonight."
Newbold was on the receiving end of four passes for 123 yards and the 24-yard TD. Lentz had two catches for 26 yards, including an 11-yard TD reception on a screen pass in the third quarter. Running back Poom Hang had 51 yards on 17 carries and Tondu had 25 yards on five tries, including a 4-yard TD in the first quarter.
Linebacker Graham Cunningham had 13 tackles for the Panthers.
Yeskey rushed for 94 yards and Dobbyn for 75 yards to lead the Cardinals. In addition to his 41-yard TD in the fourth quarter, Dobbyn also scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter.
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