The Cougars (9-4) will now move on to the Division II state semifinals where they will face Jayton.
The Jaybirds (13-0) used nine touchdowns from Bode Ham to take down the two-time defending state champions from Benjamin (9-2), 100-50, Friday night in the Region 2-1A Division II finals.
The Cougars got on the board midway through the first quarter when Cannon
McGee raced around the left end for a four-yard scoring run and an 8-0 lead.
Follett marched back down the field on the following possession. Facing a fourth and
11 from the Klondike 21, found the end zone as Wyatt Terrell rolled left and threw
across his body to David Meeks in the end zone to cut the lead to 8-6 after the Panthers missed the point after attempt.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Panthers booted the ball deep where McGee picked up the ball at the five and broke a tackle at the 20 before finding a wall of Panthers at the
25.
McGee looked like he was going to be stopped there but somehow slithered out of
the grasps of the Panthers and bolted down the Follett sidelines for a 75-yard kickoff
return and a 16-6 lead.
That play seemed to catapult the Cougars as they held Follett on the next possession
then found paydirt again late in the quarter when Jared Quintanilla found McGee deep for a 43-yard pass and a 24-6 lead headed to the second quarter.
and Meeks and constantly force the Panthers into fourth and long situations which left the Cougars with a short field to play with.
Quintanilla scored twice more on the ground in the second quarter and found Luke Smith on a beautiful post route from 33 yards out to propel the district 4-1A champs to a mercy rule win.
The defense from Klondike forced Terrell and Meeks into a 7-for-18 evening for 46
yards and thirteen carries for a miniscule eight yards.
Quintanilla was 3-of-5 through the air for 90 yards and two scores while carrying the ball five times for 52 yards and two more scores. McGee was also impressive finishing the night with four total touchdowns.
The Panthers finished the season with an 8-4 record after reeling off eight wins in nine games before the loss to Klondike.
