The Bonney Lake High Panthers scored two quick touchdowns in the first quarter, added two more in the second period and went on to defeat the visiting White River Hornets 41-0 Friday night.

The game, played at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner, was the season opener for both the Class 3A Panthers and Class 2A Hornets.

First-game jitters might explain the rash of penalties whistled by the officials. Bonney Lake was flagged 19 times, costing the Panthers 159 yards, and White River was penalized 10 times.

The Panthers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, finding the end zone on their first possession. Marcus Kaelin did the honors, scoring from two yards out. Four minutes later, quarterback Chris Brown connected with favorite target Austin Marshall for a 7-yard scoring pass; Brown then teamed with Kaelin for a two-point conversion. The second quarter saw Bonney Lake add a 20-yard TD run by Tyler Babukas and a short scoring burst by Kaelin. Add Alex Hall’s pair of extra-point kicks and the Panthers enjoyed a 28-0 advantage heading into the locker room at halftime.

The second half saw Panther touchdowns by Nathan Day, on a 44-yard pass from Brown, and Marshall, on a 38-yarder from Brown.

As is the case when a team rolls to victory, players put up big numbers. Brown finished with 24 completions on 38 attempts, good for 331 yards. Marshall caught 14 passes for 170 yards. As a team, the Panthers totaled 415 yards of offense.

The Hornets were ineffective on the ground, gaining a net total of 63 yards on 38 rushing attempts. Quarterback Zach McMillen, making his first varsity start, completed 10 of his 13 throws for 76 yards.