McCaskey comes up short in nonleaguer vs. William Tennent

Finishing drives is becoming a difficult task for McCaskey's offense.

The Red Tornado (2-3 overall) surrendered the ball on downs inside the red zone twice in the second half Friday and another time just outside the zone, unable to finish.

"That's been the story the last couple of games," Tornado head coach Ben Thompson said after a 14-7 nonleague loss to visiting William Tennent. "We can move between the 20s, but once we get in that red zone, it turns into a stop sign."

With 5:28 left in the third quarter, trailing 14-7, the Tornado drove to the Tennent 14 before two incomplete passes ended the possession.

With 9:36 left in the game, they had first-and-goal at the Panthers' 9. Two runs yielded no gain and an incompletion brought fourth down. After another incompletion the Panthers took over.

The Tornado took over at their 39 with 5:06 left and moved to the Tennent 31 before turning the ball over after an incompletion.

Tornado quarterback Jalen Cintron finished the evening 11-for 27 for 109 yards and a 22-yard touchdown to DeAndre Jones, a beautiful cross-field throw to the left corner of the end zone, seven minutes into the game.

For a long time it appeared that might hold up as the Panthers shot themselves in the foot with high snaps in shotgun formation.

They put together a seven-play, 58-yard drive late in the second quarter, keyed by a 13-yard, fourth-and-6 pass from Gavin Mensch (6-for-11, 40 yards) to Ajmal Alwan. Isaiah Rosario broke an 18-yard run and two plays later Mensch plunged in from a yard out.

Coming out of halftime tied at 7-7, the Panthers (2-3), who broke a two-game losing streak, took the lead on their first possession. Rosario (20 carries, 232 yards) broke a 78-yard run to the Tornado 2, losing his footing and falling down there. He finished the two-possession drive on the next play, scoring the winning TD from the 2 with 19:34 to play.

Turning point

Late in the first quarter Cintron found Jones for a 29-yard strike to the Panthers 18, called back on a holding penalty.

Key injury

With less than four minutes in the first half the Tornado's Marquise Washington (9 carries, 67 yards) left the game. He did not return.