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Earlier this week, Norman North coach Lance Manning opened his e-mail to find taunting messages from Putnam City North players.

The Panthers claimed to be unstoppable, that they would come to Norman and hand the Timberwolves their first loss of the season.

Well, Friday, North celebrated homecoming by sending P.C. North back to northwest Oklahoma City with its prophecy unfulfilled after a 34-26 victory.

“They’re a good football team,” Manning said. “They’re ranked No. 7 for a reason. They’re tough and it was a district game, a big win for us.”

North was off its game early. The Panthers held the ball for most of the half and racked up 104 rushing yards before the break. They even led 13-10 going into the locker room, marking the first time North has trailed at the half.

P.C. North quarterback Hunter Frantz was a thorn in the T-Wolves’ side, and he and running back Josh Booker took turns coming up with big plays.

A muffed punt by North’s Jamar Harrison and an interception by Tyler Tettleton led to both the Panthers’ first-half touchdowns and P.C. North’s spread-option offense that nickel-and-dimed its way to scoring opportunities kept the T-Wolves’ defense on the field.

“We just came out being dumb,” North nose tackle Clay Girdner said. “That’s the only way I can describe it. We knew what they were doing. We’re used to seeing it. We just had to find the angles and stop them.”

“It was frustrating,” Manning said. “I don’t think our defense played very well in the first half.”

Tettleton ran for North’s only first-half touchdown and kicker Bryce Eeasley got to show a lot of leg when he nailed a 54-yard field goal.

But that was it before the break.

In the locker room, Manning challenged his players to come out strong.

They responded, scoring on their first possession of the second half on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tettleton to Nyko Symonds. Beau Blankenship then found the end zone and North was ahead 24-13 and on a roll.

“I thought we came out lethargic, playing lazy,” Manning said. “They came out playing to win. We responded after the half, though. We got it done.”

Things got messy in the second half, and the two teams combined for 163 yards on 20 penalties.