RIVERTON — After every punch Riverton landed, Carter Baxter and the rest of the Powell High School football team got back up.

The only problem was the Panthers didn’t throw enough punches of their own.

With injuries slowing Class 3A’s three-time defending state champions, Riverton, the 3A East’s No. 2 seed in the state playoffs, took advantage and knocked off banged-up PHS (No. 3 West) with a 42-26 victory in the first round Friday at Riverton.

The defeat ended the Panthers’ outstanding three-year run atop the 3A mountain, and their chances at a fourth state championship in as many years.

“We fought hard, all of the guys fought hard tonight,” said Baxter, PHS’ senior quarterback. “We played our hearts out, but we just didn’t get it done.”

PHS (5-4) fell to the Wolverines in week three of the regular season, a 20-14 setback that spoiled the Panthers’ Homecoming. But while PHS was enjoying its health early in the season, RHS (8-1) was trying to find its own. The roles were reversed on Friday.

The Panther coaching staff was forced to limit Baxter to offense only (he also plays middle linebacker) after he sprained his right ankle against Cody on Oct. 24. For the entirety of the game, the QB could be seen hobbling around in the backfield before, during and after plays.

Aside from Baxter, senior lineman Riley Stringer (ankle) and senior wide receiver Kalei Smith (hip) were also hindered, and by the end of the contest, senior tailbacks Ty Herd and Ryan Ferro succumbed to cramps and overexertion.

“There was no quit in these kids all night long,” PHS interim head coach Chanler Buck said. “Carter is out there basically on one foot, he’s getting knocked down and keeps going, he refused to let his ankle slow him down tonight.

“Then you’ve got Riley and Kalei who are fighting through pain, and then Ty and Ryan who ran their butts off to the point that their bodies rejected themselves. It was really kind of cool to see these kids go all out for each other.”

PHS came out of the gate with an apparent chip on their shoulder, and tried to take control of the game early.

The Panthers opened the game at their own 20-yard line, and on the first play from scrimmage, sophomore running back TJ Abraham burst down the sideline for a 59-yard gain. PHS only gained three more yards after the initial run, but Luccho Maurizi hit a 35-yard field goal for a quick 3-0 lead at the 11:11 mark of the opening quarter. After a Wolverines 3-and-out on their first offensive possession, PHS started its second drive from its own 4, and marched again.

“We started with as much energy and intensity as I’ve seen all season,” Buck said of the fast start.

“The kids really came to play.”

Baxter got the drive started with a 30-yard pass that was spectacularly caught on the fingertips by Heston Swenson. Swenson then caught an 11-yard pass seconds later, and PHS moved to the Riverton 19, where Maurizi made it a 6-0 lead with a 36-yard field goal.

“I was really impressed with the way we came out and started fighting,” Stringer said. “But we just couldn’t maintain. For whatever reason, it just fell apart for us after that.”

On the Wolverines’ next possession, QB Brandon Fullerton was intercepted by Jeron Smith, but PHS failed to turn it into points. Baxter fumbled the ball on his team’s next drive at the PHS 24, and RHS soon took the lead for good on Fullerton’s 25-yard strike to Teron Doebele.

The Wolverines’ touchdown was six of 42 unanswered points.

“That’s a great football team over there,” Buck added. “They were healthy this time around, and as I’ve stressed all season long, we just don’t have the depth needed to overcome the injuries we’ve had to deal with.

“You’ve got kids playing hurt, busting their butts, but playing hurt, and this can result from that.”

At the 5:41 mark of the second quarter, RHS pushed its cushion to 14-6 when Fullerton found the end zone from 22 yards out. The score remained the same until after halftime, when the Wolverines opened the third quarter with the football, and went 60 yards for another score.

Tristan White carried the football four straight times from the Panther 18, ending the streak with a 3-yard punch-in. One drive later, RHS was ahead 28-6 on Fullerton’s 11-yard pass to Keeton Zancanella.

Fullerton returned a Baxter interception 90 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and went 61 yards on a keeper to finish the offensive attack.

And then suddenly, PHS tried to make it a game.

“We weren’t just going to lay down for them,” Stringer said. “No matter what, we’re still brothers, we’re still a family, and we showed that with the way we kept battling.”

In the last 8:18 of play, the Panthers reeled off 20 unanswered points of their own. Ferro scored on a 12-yard scamper with 8:04 to go, and after an onside kick recovery, Baxter hit Matt Sweet on a 35-yard screen pass to cut the deficit to 42-19. Herd gave the Panthers one final reason to cheer with an 8-yard touchdown run with 1:18 to play. PHS was hoping for more miracles, but couldn’t recover another onside kick, and RHS milked the final seconds to secure a semifinal matchup at Cody.

“There’s so much heart in these boys,” Buck said. “They’ve endured more than any high school football team, or any high school kids should ever have to endure, and they’ve done so with class and with more heart than you could ever ask for.”

On the night, the Panthers earned the edge in total offense, 352-305. Baxter had three three interceptions, but finished with a respectable 179 yards and a touchdown after completing 11-of-29 passes. Smith hauled in three passes for 73 yards. On 16 carries, Herd collected 85 of PHS’s 173 rushing yards. For RHS, Fullerton collected more than half of the Wolverines’ 200 rushing yards with 119 and totaled 105 through the air.

PHS managed to make the playoffs after being hit with the loss of beloved head coach Jim Stringer, Riley Stringer’s father, in mid-July. The Panthers later saw their 27-game win streak come to an end in the week zero game in Miles City, Mont., but opened the regular season with an upset win over now 8-1 Douglas.

Riley Stringer, who was a part of PHS’ back-to-back-to-back state championships, left the field on Friday night with a message for his 2014 teammates.

“This was my favorite team and my favorite season, the way we battled every Friday, I’ll never forget it,” Stringer said.

And in the postgame huddle to his teammates, he told them this: “Just because this season is over doesn’t mean our friendships are over. I love all of you guys, and I will for the rest of my life.”