By STEPHEN GLOVER

For the Call

Mehlville Senior High School head football coach Gary Heyde will be the first to admit that it’s hard to win a game when your team gives up 21 points in the first quarter.

Such was the case Friday evening when the Panthers (0-2) dropped a 35-25 loss at home to CBC.

The Mehlville head coach believes that mental mistakes on the field is what cost his team the chance for its first win of the season.

“We spotted them 21 points in the first quarter and after that we played pretty good in spurts,” Heyde said. “We’re still not playing with the discipline we need to be playing with.”

The Panthers found themselves down 7-0 before senior fullback Jeremy Doss scored on a 79-yard run with 7:45 left in the first quarter.

“Jeremy scored on a play up the middle that we like to run,” Heyde explained. “He popped through the middle and it was a foot race to the end zone.”

Mehlville recorded the lone score of the second quarter as junior running back Travis Shores caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Kevin Mahler with 7:19 left in the first half. Mahler finished the evening with 152 yards passing with three touchdowns.

“Kevin had a good night with three touchdown passes,” Heyde said. “I think he’s got a good chance to have some big games.”

The Cadets would score two more touchdowns in the third quarter to take a commanding 35-13 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Shores scored his second touchdown of the evening on a 19-yard pass from Mahler with 4:54 left in the game.

“That was a good play where Kevin (Mahler) had some pressure and scrambled,” Heyde said. “He did a good job finding the second receiver and getting the ball to him.”

The Panthers would score again with 1:48 left in the game as junior wide receiver T.J. Brown hauled in a 50-yard pass from Mahler to bring the score to 35-25.

“T.J. ran a post pattern and he did a good job,” Heyde said. “He could have done a better job but had two dropped passes.”

Up next for the Panthers is a Suburban West Conference meeting at 7 p.m. Friday at home against the Lindbergh Flyers. The Flyers are soaring with a 2-0 record after a 25-6 thumping of Oakville.

They’ve been playing real solid football,” Heyde said. “Their big threat is their quarterback. He can really do it all.”