The journey started for the Centralia-Wetmore Panthers on Friday (November 8th) as they opened the Class 2-1A playoffs at home against the Oskaloosa Bears and the Panthers took one step closer to a return trip to the State title game with a 56-8 win.

Game opened up with a three-out forced by the Panthers defense and they got the ball on the Bears side of the field after the punt and on the first play on offense for Centralia-Wetmore, Sam Steinlage took it 42 yards to the endzone for the TD. In the next six offensive plays three more TD's came for the Panthers scoring with efficiency for the Panthers, as JT Rosine posted a 33-yard TD run, then those his only pass of the game for 35-yards to a wide open Devin Rempe for a TD and Trevor Mars added a four-yard TD run, making it making it 29-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The offensive efficiency continued for the Panthers in the second quarter as the defense continued to stymie the Bears and give Centralia great field position. Mars added to his day and padded the defense's strong night with a pick six from 20-yards out for his second TD of the game while, Rempe then scored his second TD of the game with a 15-yard run and Darrian Turner added a TD score on a blistering 80-yard run on one of his only two carries in the game but still totaled 99 yards rushing in the contest. At the half the Panthers had a dominating 50-0 lead of Oskaloosa and had held the Bears to 23-yards of offense in the first half.

Second half was much the same for the Panthers on defense continuing to stop Oskaloosa with the JV squad coming in back in the second quarter of the game. Panthers added a four-yard TD run by Jonathan Johnson in the second half, as he finished with 11 carries for 82 yards, while the Bears finally broke through for a score as Bryce Stottelmire scored a five-yard TD run and two-point conversion successful. Panthers notched the 56-8 win in the second half holding Oskaloosa out of the endzone as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

Panthers offensive efficiency was displayed all through the night posting 355 yards rushing as a team. Steinlage finished the night with 73 yards on just two carries as the team's third leading rusher on the night behind Turner and Johnson. But the Panthers defense once more engulfed another opponent holding Oskaloosa to one score and 148 total yards of offense.

With the loss the Bears season finishes 4-6 in their first playoff appearance since 2010, while the Panthers continue their unbeaten season at 10-0 and their season going in the playoffs. With the win Centralia-Wetmore moves to the Sectional round of the playoffs and will at Olpe for the second straight year in the second round. The Panthers got the best of Olpe last year 29-0 and will look to do so again this season coming up Friday, November 15th with a 7:00pm kick.