The Steamer fell to the Panthers 20-17 on December 18th in a regular season Week 16 contest at home in Shreveport. Both teams entered the game with playoff spots secured but with division standings and momentum in play.

The Steamer won the opening toss and elected to receive. They struck first quickly in the opening quarter when running back Danny Trevino scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown, giving the home team an early 7-0 lead after Rufus Stewart’s successful extra point.

Steamer kicker Stewart added a 44-yard field goal early in the second quarter, extending the lead to 10-0. However, the Panthers responded with two touchdowns later in the second quarter. Quarterback Robert Townsend connected with Edwin Smith for a rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 10-6, followed by another rushing touchdown by a Panthers player.

Despite the Steamer holding a strong rushing attack with 170 yards on 33 carries, they were unable to add touchdowns on the ground or through the air. Quarterback Stan Williams completed 19 of 39 passes for 155 yards but threw three interceptions, all in the first half. The passing game saw no touchdown passes but was bolstered somewhat by tight end Paul Myers’ 60 receiving yards and running back Danny Trevino’s two receiving touchdowns.

Defensively, the Steamer made an impact with four interceptions on the Panthers, including a crucial pick by Tom Lanning who also contributed 118 rushing yards. The defense forced one fumble and recorded one sack. However, the Steamer penalty count of four for 33 yards and inability to capitalize on red zone opportunities plagued their efforts.

The Panthers’ Robert Townsend had an efficient game, completing 25 of 39 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Despite throwing four interceptions overall for his team, Townsend helped the Panthers maintain offensive pressure. Wide receivers Jerry Medina and Edwin Smith contributed with 84 and 54 receiving yards respectively, while fullback Jeffrey Cruz added an 88-yard receiving effort along with a rushing touchdown.

Special teams played a significant role, with Panthers’ kicker Allan Hawk making two of three field goal attempts while missing twice from long range in the second quarter. Steamer’s Rufus Stewart was perfect on his single field goal attempt.

With the loss, the Steamer drop to 14-3 overall, maintaining second place in their division behind the Panthers who improve to 12-5 and secure the division title with an undefeated 6-0 division record. The Steamer have clinched a playoff berth but saw their seven-game winning streak snapped. Coach David Ladner’s squad will look to regroup ahead of postseason play.

The final minutes featured a Steamer late punt pinning the Panthers at their own 3-yard line, but the defense could not force a turnover or score to send the game to overtime. The Panthers held on to win by three points in a tightly contested defensive matchup.

Despite the narrow defeat, the Steamer showed strong rushing dominance and defensive playmaking. The team’s challenge will be to reduce turnovers and improve red zone efficiency as they advance toward the playoffs.