They say a game can change in a play or two. In a span of less than two minutes of game time, that was the case on a perfect Friday night at Tinora’s Justin F. Coressel Stadium.

As the Tinora Rams welcomed in the visiting Paulding Panthers, both teams knew what was at stake. The Rams needed a win to defend their two straight GMC titles, while the Panthers needed a win to clinch at least a tie for their first-ever Green Meadows Conference football title.

After both teams exchanged opening possessions in from of a packed house at Tinora High School, the Rams defense came up with a big stop as Paulding was looking to take an early lead, as Tinora held Paulding out of the endzone on a big 4th and goal stop from the 7-yard line.

Paulding finally lit up the scoreboard on a Colt Hunt 16-yard TD scamper. Hunt saw an open field to his right and took it in for a 6-0 Panthers lead at the 3:28 mark of the initial quarter. The XP was no good as Paulding attempted the two-point conversion.

With both defenses playing well in the first 20 minutes, the Rams finally put points on the score board as they drove deep into Paulding territory but had to settle for a Parker Hancock 24-yard field goal, cutting the Panthers lead to 6-3 with 2:46 remaining in the half.

Tinora looked to tie or take the lead heading to the half as their defense came up with a big stop deep in their own territory, forcing a Panthers punt from inside their own 15-yard line. Tinora’s Dylan Schaufele called for a fair catch on a short Panther punt, and the Rams offense hit the field with 2:20 on the first half clock.

Still trailing 6-3, Tinora looked to be heading for paydirt, but the first of two big plays by the Panthers took place. Blake Rhonehouse, leading the Panthers with six interceptions coming into the game, picked off an Owen Ferrell pass and brought it back to the Tinora 24-yard line with just under two minutes left until the half.

With 58 seconds left in the second quarter, Hunt hit Jordan Manz with a 24-yard strike. Paulding converted the two-point attempt on a Colt Hunt run, giving Paulding a 14-3 lead to the locker room.

The second game-changing play occurred at the start of the second half. With Paulding kicking off to start the third quarter, a little squib kick was recovered by the Panthers at the Rams’ 40-yard line.

The Panthers wasted little time as Hunt would again hit Jordan Manz with a 36-yard strike, Jaylen Manz would catch the two-point conversion for a 20-3 Panthers lead with 11:01 in the third stanza.

Colt Hunt would strike again, this time darting in for a 7-yard touchdown. Hunt would again run in the two-point conversion, and the Panthers were off and running with a 28-3 advantage.

Paulding put the game away with 1:14 remaining in the third quarter as Jordan Manz took a 5-yard screen pass, made several Tinora defenders miss, and four spins later, bolted in for a 75-yard score. The two-point conversion was no good. Paulding jumped to a 36-3 lead.

The final score of the game came with 54 seconds on the game clock as Owen Ferrell hit Owen Reynolds for a 19-yard score. The Parker Hancock XP was good. Paulding led Tinora 36-10.

Colt Hunt and the Panthers took a knee in victory formation in their final two snaps, and Paulding headed home with a share of their first GMC title in the history of the football program with a 36-10 victory.

The Rams honored their 2015 team at the half.

Paulding 6-8-16-0 = 36
Tinora 3-0-0-7 =10

Paulding passing: Hunt: 16-27-234-4 TD, Rhonehouse 1-1-35
Paulding running: Hunt 12-57-2 TD, Cooper 14-47, Rhonehouse 4-26, Jalen Manz 2-1
Paulding receiving: Barnes 2-11, Jalen Manz 2-15, Rhonehouse 2-4, Jordan Manz 9-214-3 TD, Cooper 1-4

Tinora passing: Ferrell 15-23-137-1 TD, 1 INT
Tinora rushing: Replogle 18-32, Ferrell 5-27, Lieb 2-4, Hattemer 1-1
Tinora receiving: Schaufele 6-64, Reynolds 3-37-1 TD, Lieb 3-20, Sheets 2-13, Replogle 1-3

Paulding remains unbeaten at 9-0, 6-0 in the GMC. The Panthers will close out the regular season next Friday at home vs Antwerp.

Tinora seeing their 4 game winning streak snapped, the Rams drop to 4-5, 4-2 in the GMC. Tinora closes out the season next Friday at Edgerton.

The Patriot Outdoors Play of the Game went to Owen Reynolds for his TD in the 4th quarter. Congratulations, Owen.

Congratulation to the Coach Menzie and his Paulding Panthers on their first Green Meadows Conference football title.

Watch it back below: