The Wildcats’ opening round playoff win over Mogollon wound up being their final victory of the football season. The Joseph City squad came up short in the second round of the 1A State playoffs, falling to the Panthers in Superior 52-21 last Saturday.
The first quarter was competitive as the Cats trailed just 14-6. Unbeaten and second seeded Superior used a strong second period to open up the game. The Panthers outscored Joseph City 20-0 in the second stanza, building a 34-6 halftime edge.
Both teams scored once in the third, and Superior outscored the Wildcats by five in the fourth to advance to the 1A State semifinal round.
Superior outgained the Wildcats 544 yards to 315, holding Joseph City to just 50 passing yards. Rhett Beard completed four of 11 attempts for those 50 yards.
Troy Poudrier led the ground attack, picking up 153 yards on 21 rushes with two scores. Matt Fields carried 15 times for 106 yards. Dylan Romero rushed twice for 14 yards. Cameron Baldwin also scored a short rushing touchdown.
Joseph City put a cap on the season with an overall record of 7-3.
The top four seeds in the bracket all made the 1A semifinal round. Top seeded Bagdad will face No. 4 St. David, while No. 2 Superior will take on No. 3 Williams.
