Masuk Free Press

Sunday, December 8th, marked a day of victory for Masuk high school. During Masuk’s routing of Bunnell, the duo, Shane and Gavin Walker, both had their fair share of game-changing plays that electrified Benedict Field, as they were both able to ‘Walk’ right into the endzone, time after time again, creating a spectacle out on the turf.

The game started off with energy on both sidelines, alluding to the fact that this was the biggest game of the season so far. Masuk’s offense, headlined by quarterback Aaron Champagne and top threats Shane and Gavin Walker, were the first to trot out on the field. No game is perfect however, as an opening interception thrown by Masuk gave Bunnell the ball early on. Lucky for the Panthers, the defense came up big early and forced an immediate turnover, putting possession right back where it started. Masuk then trudged down the field, one play at a time, until the time came for Gavin Walker, where he was able to turn a 10-yard reception into six points, opening the scoring for the game. Masuk then stopped Bunell’s offense promptly, giving the still-starving Panthers another offensive possession. This drive ended in style however, as Champagne threaded the needle and threw a 50-yard bomb to Shane Walker. 

This ended quarter one, and quarter two began with some trickery, as a fake punt (run by Steven Curtin) gave Masuk a much needed extension on offense. Unfortunately, this trick was not followed by a treat, as Champagne threw a pick six to Bunnell, giving them their first score of the day (14-7). Bunnell’s hopes were shortly squashed, as not too long later Champagne came back and threw another 55 yarder that gave Gavin Walker another score. Our score is now 20-7 in Masuk’s favor. In that same quarter, Champagne chucked another touchdown, this one going to Steven Curtin, increasing the score to 27-7, effectively closing the curtains on any hope Bunnell may have had as well as our first half.

The second half followed the same trend as the first: Masuk dominance. Bunnell was under all sorts of pressure, such as being sacked and tackled for little to no yardage gain. Masuk continued the push, as Shane Walker found his way into another touchdown run, this one going for 55 yards, pushing the Panther’s lead to 33-7. Masuk’s defense stifled Bunnell’s offense, as the fourth and final quarter brought another 53-yard rushing touchdown from Gavin Walker. Bunnell did end up getting an offensive score, but it was much too little too late, giving us our final score of 41-13. 

The Masuk Panthers have a chance to win a football state championship, the highest honor any high school football team can dream of. This was the expectation however, as every single member of the team has played their hearts out, and hopefully they can get just one more win against Windsor, giving the icing on the cake, completing the ultimate achievement.