Subscribe

MANGILAO, Guam – George Washington has slammed the door on Guam High football’s season several times in Jacob Dowdell’s eight years on the Panthers’ coaching staff. Saturday was no exception.

The Geckos scored on the last play of the game and rallied from a 16-13 deficit to edge the Panthers 19-16 to advance to next Saturday’s semifinal with Tiyan. The Panthers end their season at 3-5.

Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Dowdell said he was pleased with the way his youthful team played during the course of the season.

“I’m glad we won one game,” Dowdell said. “I said at the start of the season, we would celebrate each first down, every touchdown, like it was 1999. For us to do this with a young and inexperienced team, you have to take the bitter with the sweet.”

In Saturday’s see-saw battle at University of Guam’s Tritons Field, RaSean Jacobs led the way for Guam. He caught a 30-yard touchdown pass, returned a kick 85 yards for a touchdown, scored a two-point conversion and had 17 tackles. “He was a beast again,” Dowdell said.

Travan Jacobs was 18-for-46 for 248 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Jaylynn Dowdell had 15 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery.

It could have swung the other way were it not for turnovers; the Panthers lost the ball on fumbles at the GW 1-yard line five times.

“We had a chance to win,” Dowdell said. “We played above what we had. But youth and inexperience will kill you every time.”

Sign Up for Daily Headlines

Sign up to receive a daily email of today's top military news stories from Stars and Stripes and top news outlets from around the world.

Sign Up Now