OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Gowanda/Pine Valley's Brayden Smith breaks a tackle on his way to a long touchdown during Saturday's Section VI Class D semifinal against Clymer/Sherman/Panama at Jack Keeney Community Field in Panama.

PANAMA — Clymer/Sherman/Panama will be playing for its second straight Section VI Class D title Thursday at Highmark Stadium.

For a while Saturday afternoon, it looked like that might not be the case.

The New York State Sportswriters Association’s top-ranked Class D team trailed Gowanda/Pine Valley 24-22 at halftime, but turned things around to post a 29-0 second-half shutout en route to a 51-24 victory in a sectional semifinal at Jack Keeney Community Field.

“In the first half, we were in position to make plays a bunch of times and we just didn’t make them. At halftime, we were pretty encouraged that if we got back to playing fundamentally sound football, we were in position to make plays,” Clymer/Sherman/Panama head coach Ty Harper said. “(Coach Chris) Payne didn’t panic and told the kids at halftime that we weren’t going to give up any more points.”

The win sets up a title game rematch with Franklinville/Ellicottville at 3 p.m. Thursday at the home of the Buffalo Bills.

The fourth-seeded Panthers were a formidable opponent for the top-ranked Wolfpack for two quarters Saturday on a sunny, cool autumn afternoon.

Gowanda/Pine Valley capitalized on a blocked punt and a fumble, and returned an interception for a touchdown to lead 18-7 midway through the second quarter. When Clymer/Sherman/Panama fumbled the ensuing kickoff, it looked like the Panthers might be able to push their lead to as many as 19 late in the first half.

“It was definitely concerning the mistakes that we were making. Obviously, they were playing like they were on fire, but we certainly didn’t do anything to help ourselves either,” Harper said. “We got a punt blocked, we fumbled a kickoff, we threw a pick-6. I’m trying to think of what else we did wrong in the first half.”

But Bryce Hinsdale made sure the damage wasn’t worse as he toe-tapped an interception in the corner of the end zone to give the ball back to the Wolfpack with 4:59 left in the second quarter.

“Bryce was phenomenal today. … Tremendous effort on the interception really saved us there,” Harper said. “It would’ve been tough to go down three scores in the second quarter.”

Three players later, Carter Brink — in the midst of a record-setting day — caught a 75-yard touchdown from Tate Catanese to make it 18-15.

After Carter Capozzi threw a 65-yard touchdown to Camryn Slade for Gowanda/Pine Valley, Brink caught a 31-yard strike from Catanese to make it 24-22 as the teams went to their locker rooms following a wild first half.

“We have a great football team here, regardless of what our record says, what the final score says, these kids are fighters and just keep working,” said Gowanda/Pine Valley head coach Brett Ebling, whose father, Stephen, died Monday in a construction-zone accident on Interstate 90 and was laid to rest Saturday morning. “I know a lot of people were surprised by the first half, but we weren’t surprised at all. I have full confidence in these kids to win the game, actually, not just the first half.”

“Pretty much anything that we could’ve done wrong, we did it,” Harper said. “For it to be a 2-point game there at halftime, I think going into half we felt good with where the game was, considering all the mistakes we made.”

After the break, Clymer/Sherman/Panama played like the best team in the state.

After forcing a three-and-out defensively, the Wolfpack went 55 yards in five plays, capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Catanese to Brink that gave the hosts the lead for good with 9:20 remaining.

Brink finished with 12 catches for a program-record 241 yards and three touchdowns.

“Carter is so talented. We try and do a lot of different things with him because his skill set is so diverse. The thing that makes him so dangerous is his speed,” Harper said. ” … He just brings a lot to the table. … He was our go-to guy today, for sure.”

Catanese added a 6-yard touchdown run, Travis Owens ran for a 1-yard score and Sawyer Whitney scored on an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter as Clymer/Sherman/Panama clinched a spot in Thursday’s final.

When the Wolfpack and Titans met in Week 4 of this season in Ellicottville, Clymer/Sherman/Panama won 21-6.

“We’re going to have to get ourselves ready. We don’t really have a choice. If we come out and play that poorly in the first half again, I don’t see things going well for us,” Harper said. ” … I think (Franklinville/Ellicottville) has gotten progressively better and they have a lot of talented kids. … I would expect this to be a dogfight.”

NOTES: Catanese was 16 for 25 for 292 yards and three touchdowns, while Capozzi was 17 of 32 for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively for the Wolfpack, Collin Ryan was in on 15 tackles, while Kameron Einink and Hinsdale each had an interception. … Cameron Barmore had 214 yards receiving in the Wolfpack’s state semifinal win over Tioga in 2018. … Cameron Barmore and Kolby Parks each had three-touchdown receiving games in Clymer/Sherman/Panama’s program history.

Gowanda/Pine Valley 6 18 0 0 — 24

Clymer/Sherman/Panama 7 15 8 21 — 51

G/PV–Smith 32 pass from Capozzi (kick failed)

C/S/P–Catanese 5 run (Hinsdale kick)

G/PV–Mentley-Peters 12 pass from Capozzi (pass failed)

G/PV–Mentley-Peters 38 interception return (kick failed)

C/S/P–Brink 75 pass from Catanese (Hinsdale pass from Catanese)

G/PV–Slade 65 pass from Capozzi (pass failed)

C/S/P–Brink 31 pass from Catanese (Hinsdale kick)

C/S/P–Brink 6 pass from Catanese (Owens run)

C/S/P–Catanese 6 run (Catanese run)

C/S/P–Owens 1 run (kick failed)

C/S/P–Whitney 18 run (Hinsdale kick)