Points were hard to come by at the home of Hesperia football, Thursday, Aug. 29. The few times the ball did cross the goal line, it was in favor of the home team, leading to a low-scoring but hard fought 13-0 win for the Panthers over Farwell.
Hesperia has made it a habit of etching out shutout wins in their home opener under third-year head coach Tyler Fehler. Thursday’s win marked back-to-back seasons of accomplishing that feat.
Balance was key in the first victory of 2024, as Hesperia deployed an attack that featured equal parts air and ground. Senior quarterback Blake Sayer was a key, accounting in some fashion for both of the Panthers’ touchdowns.
Hesperia’s first points came courtesy of Sayer’s arm, connecting with junior Eli Edens for a 27-yard touchdown strike through the air.
A one score lead remained present for the majority of the game. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Panthers were able to score again, this time on a quarterback run from Sayer to leave the final standing at 13-0.
Hesperia's Eli Edens looks to join his teammates on a tackle.
Sayer’s final stat line included 9/15 pass attempts for 114 yards and a touchdown, adding 38 yards on five carries and a touchdown on the ground.
Senior Ian Fox was the team’s leading receiver, recording five catches for 51 yards. Thor Klaus was next up, with 26 yards on three catches.
Skyler Stalbaum flashed his consistency at the head of the ground attack, taking 13 carries for 71 yards for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Stalbaum was also a force on defense, leading the team with eight total tackles and adding an interception as well.
Noah Walker and Klaus each chipped in six tackles while Dominic Smith and Dom Rivera each had four.
The Panthers start the year at 1-0 and will now turn their attention to conference play. Favorable competition awaits Hesperia as a struggling Holton program comes into the rivalry game off a 59-0 loss to Morley Stanwood in week one.
Hesperia's football team had a big 13-0 win in week one against Farwell. Major contributors to the win included senior quarterback Blake Sayer, senior running back Skyler Stalbaum, senior receiver Ian Fox and junior receiver Eli Edens.
