OWENSBORO, Ky. - Frostburg State opened their 2021 season with a scrappy 20-13 victory over the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers on September 6. The Bobcats moved to 1-0 on the young season, while the Panthers fell to 0-1 on the young year.
FSU opened up a 13-0 lead in the first half behind a two yard touchdown run from junior running back Josh Maxwell in the first quarter and two field goals from sophomore kicker Dayne Koontz. Kentucky Wesleyan snuck in a field goal of their own to close the gap to 13-3.
Moving into the second half, Kentucky Wesleyan would inch closer with a second field goal, making the score 13-6. Shortly after, the FSU defense would come up with an interception return for a touchdown by junior defensive end Luke Freeman that propelled the Bobcats into a 20-6 lead.
The Panthers would not fade however, with a late touchdown rush coming inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter making the score 20-13. The Frostburg defense would come up with an interception in the final few seconds of the game to halt a game-tying drive from the Panthers and to secure the win.
Both teams struggled to take care of the football in the contest, with a grand total of nine turnovers combined between the two squads. The Bobcats had three interceptions and two fumble recoveries, while the Panthers had three interceptions and one fumble recovery. Seniors Gavin Lavat and Malcom Facey led the way on the ground for the Bobcats with 14 and 15 rush attempts for 70 and 65 yards, respectively. Senior Malik Morris lead the receiving corps with two receptions for 69 yards. On the defensive side, seniors Carl Igweh and Hauns White were tied with eight tackles.
FSU will be back in action of September 11 on the road against West Virginia State at 12 pm, however the game will be played at Charleston (WV)'s football field due to renovations ongoing for the WVSU facility. The game can be heard on 99.5 WDZN with pregame beginning at 11:45 am at 995wdzn.com and for more Bobcat updates be sure to visit frostburgsports.com.
