Battling a scrappy Mendota team on senior night, big plays helped Erie-Prophetstown pull away in a 27-14 Three Rivers crossover win in Erie.

The Panthers (6-2) won a fourth straight game to send the Trojans to 2-6.

E-P’s Gaven Adams caught two touchdowns from fellow senior Keegan Winckler, with his second coming with 3:22 left in the game to help put it away. He also intercepted an Aden Tillman pass in the end zone to seal the win.

“It was a dogfight,” Adams said. “They’re way better than we thought, and we just pushed every single play, execution on every single play. And that’s what mattered.”

Adams’ first TD was a 92-yarder in the first quarter. Mendota’s Corbin Furar helped tie it at 7 with a rushing score late in the first quarter.

As the game shifted to a defensive battle, E-P made arguably the biggest play of the game on special teams.

Following up a sack to make it fourth and long, E-P junior Derek Naftzger blocked the Mendota punt, eventually scooped up the ball, and ran it in for a score.

“We’re about to go in for the punt, and [coach Tyler] Whitebread goes, go on the outside, try to get that block,” Naftzger said. “I go outside, put my hands up, and it hits me right in the gut.

“I tried to get it, but I fumble it, then I kick it and it goes an extra 20 yards ... And then it perfectly just bounced back into my hands and I was in the end zone. It was really exciting.”

The big play also came with just 1:42 until halftime and E-P receiving in the second half.

“I’d say it definitely built our momentum up,” Naftzger said, “and really helped us get excited for the rest of the game.”

Adams said that the score was a turning point.

“It helped us get the pressure off our heels and refocus and get the offense back,” he said.

Tristan Hovey started the second half with a bang, using a 64-yard rush to set up a 1-yard plunge to put the Panthers up 20-7.

Mendota’s Thomas Corrigan had an 8-yard TD with 7:34 in the fourth quarter after Furar exited with an injury. E-P answered again as Adams’ second score was a 27-yard catch on third and 14 with 3:22 left.

The Trojans’ final drive ended with the Adams pick.

Winckler credited his linemen for assisting in E-P’s difference-making big plays.

“We really stressed winning up front,” he said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”

Winckler credited an improving Mendota team. The Trojans snapped a 16-game losing streak earlier this season.

“They’re a good program that’s on the comeup,” he said. “I think they’re going to be tough. Teams definitely shouldn’t take them for granted and need to come ready to play because they’re a solid team.”

Winckler’s only completions were the TDs to Adams.

“Gaven’s from Prophetstown, and I’m from Erie, so I really didn’t know him until we started playing in eighth grade,” he said. “We really built a connection, and he’s been one of my best friends on the team.

“He’s a great player and does a lot of unbelievable things.”

Winckler said Naftzger’s punt block TD was also “huge”.

“The last couple of years, Derek’s had a blocked punt and ran it for six, but they’ve called him back the last like two or three years,” he said. “It’s awesome that he finally got it.”

Mendota coach James Eustice was proud of his team’s effort.

“That was a really nice high school football game to watch,” he said. “Both teams played very well with a lot of hard hitting going on. Nothing to hang our heads about, that’s for sure.”

Furar finished with 70 yards and a score before he had to be helped off the field. Tillman threw for 161 yards.

The game just came down to just a couple of big plays for E-P.

“We had one mistake on the punt and that ended up being a huge difference in the game,” Eustice said. “I’m proud of our kids. We’ve done a lot of good things here this year trying to turn this thing around.”