Quarterback Ben Snotherly scored six, two on the ground and four through the air, and totaled 393 yards of offense — 344 passing. Wide receiver Louis Wilder had six receptions for 182 yards and two scores before suffering an injured left shoulder at the end of halftime. He did not return in the second half.

“Ben’s coming on. He’s improved every game and he’s really playing well,” Athens coach Jeff Smouse said of his junior quarterback. “Louis played well last year for us but he’s been hurt this year and hasn’t stood out as much.”

But perhaps more importantly was the fact it was the best defensive effort from the Jaguars (6-2, 3-1) all season. They forced five turnovers and sacked Catamounts quarterback Kameron Bryant seven times.

“Without the defense playing hard-nosed football, it would’ve been a closer game,” Snotherly said. “We’re as good team-wise in coming together as we’ve been all season and we’re getting stronger and stronger each week.”

Snotherly went to Wilder on a second-and-goal from the 6-yard line to put Athens up 7-0. Panther Creek (4-4, 2-3) answered on the ensuing drive, as Bryant found senior Graham Love on a screen pass, and Love did the rest for a 70-yard score.

Athens’ Pete Singer blocked the extra point to keep the Jags in the lead.

With 1:24 left in the first, a scrambling Snotherly found A.J. Stewart downfield for a 37-yard touchdown pass.

In the second quarter, two consecutive Panther Creek drives ended in fumbles with Athens recovering. On the second instance, Athens turned it into points as Snotherly ran in the score from seven yards out.

“This is the first game we’ve come out and done it in the first half and done it in the second too,” Smouse said.

The Catamounts’ third turnover of the first half came when Bryant fired a pass to Jay Townsend. The ball hit Townsend in the dead center of his foot and deflected upward. While most players stopped, Athens’ Cameron Boone plucked the interception out of the air, setting up a Snotherly-to-Wilder 24-yard touchdown pass on the following play.

At that point it was 25-6 Athens in the first half.

Snotherly added a 1-yard quarterback sneak with 55.8 seconds left in the second quarter, and Athens had Panther Creek down 32-6.

The Jags padded the lead in the third with a Snotherly 7-yard touchdown pass to Kwamaine Jones to make it 39-6.

Backup quarterback Owen Markulin added a four-yard run in mop-up duty to complete the Athens scoring. For Panther Creek, it was not the performance coach Wayne Bragg wanted to see as his team prepares for Middle Creek next week.

The Catamounts’ offense was held to fewer than 20 points for the first time all season and gave up a season-high point total to Athens.

“We’ve had a strange week. Not making any excuses but we’ve had some guys out with the flu, and when you don’t practice you can tell when you’re not in sync,” Bragg said. “In the first half we gave them the short field the whole night. Sometimes you get what you deserve I guess.”

Athens senior Anthony Sumter, junior Zach Bender and junior Sam Akinmeyemil each had two sacks apiece. Athens’ Boone, Singer and Kendall Burns recorded interceptions. Fumble recoveries were made by Kelvin Mulebya and Sumter off strips from Akimeyeyil and Bender, respectively.