WENATCHEE — The Ferris Saxons played like a team that’s been to the state playoffs before. The Wenatchee Panthers just played like a team that wanted to get there.

Ferris scored three times in the first quarter and was able to hold off Wenatchee’s run-heavy attack to win Friday’s Class 4A regional crossover game 21-10, ending both the Panthers’ undefeated season and hopes for a state playoff run.

“Not a good feeling,” Wenatchee coach Scott Devereaux said as he watched his 9-1 Panthers walk off the field for the final time this season. “We played hard. We just got beat.”

“This is a tough pill to swallow,” said senior Wenatchee fullback Blair Dorn. “They just came out with a little more fire than we did.”

As it jumped out to a commanding lead in the first quarter, the Saxons appeared to be more comfortable in the big game atmosphere than Wenatchee.

“We just got a lot of momentum early,” said Ferris coach Jim Sharkey, who has now led the Saxons (7-3 overall) to state play three years in a row. “I think our (playoff) experience showed up, without a doubt.”

Ferris showed off that experience quickly, as Gage Orosco intercepted a Cam Hoey pass on Wenatchee’s third play from scrimmage, then returned it from about midfield to the Panthers’ six.

Though a penalty made it fourth and goal from the 24 on Ferris’ first drive, quarterback Connor Halliday connected with Jason Bates for a touchdown pass to get the Saxons on the board.

Ferris surprised the Panthers on the ensuing kickoff with an onside kick, recovering the ball and scoring just five plays later on a seven-yard pass from Halliday to Bates.

Wenatchee did itself no favors on its next drive, as Noah Fenhaus fumbled it to the Saxons after a run of 27 yards.

“The first quarter didn’t go so well,” Devereaux said. “You can’t make mistakes like we made against a good football team in the playoffs.”

Bates caught a five-yard touchdown strike from Halliday with just over a minute left in the first quarter to make it a 21-0 game.

“We were kind of on our heels and shell-shocked,” said Devereaux.

“It took them a while to get their feet underneath them,” Sharkey said.

Wenatchee finally broke through in the second quarter, with Jacob Sealby busting off a 45-yard run to paydirt.

The Panthers added a 24-yard field goal from Rafael Ochoa early in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t sustain their drives long enough to get back within striking distance.

Other than the disastrous first quarter, Wenatchee held up strong against the Saxons. The Panthers gained nearly as much yardage as Ferris (372 to 383), picked up more first downs (22 to 20), and kept the Saxons scoreless for the final three quarters.

“We played really good defense for three quarters,” Devereaux said.

“We got off to a slow start. We just kind of hurt ourselves with key plays and turnovers that killed our drives,” said Dorn.

In the end, it was seven turnovers — three interceptions, three fumbles, and one failed fourth-down conversion — that did in the Panthers.

“We made some mistakes that are uncharacteristic of us, and we paid the price for it,” said senior Wenatchee lineman Mike Marboe. “Had we not turned the ball over, the game would have been different.”

“It just wasn’t out night. We had way too many turnovers,” said Devereaux.

Sealby had his usual monster day, rushing for 195 yards on 23 carries, despite spraining his AC joint in his shoulder in the first quarter and re-aggravating a hip pointer in the fourth.

Dorn added 69 yards on 10 carries for the Panthers, even though he sat out a few plays in the second quarter after getting poked in the eye.

“I thought we ran the ball well pretty well, but we just weren’t consistent,” said Devereaux. “We started to open up the run game, but then we had some untimely penalties, and we’re not the kind of team that’s used to long-yardage downs.”

Halliday, a 6-foot-4 senior who has committed to Washington State University, completed 22 of his 39 attempts for 259 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead Ferris.

“He’s the real deal,” Devereaux said. “I’ve been coaching here for 15 years, and he’s the best quarterback I’ve seen. He reminds me a lot of Drew Bledsoe when he was at Walla Walla in the 80s. He’s a stud.”

“Connor was on. He threw the ball well,” said Sharkey.

The teams showed a mutual respect once the game was done.

“They’re a great team. Hats off to them. They played better than us,” Dorn said.

“Without a doubt, Wenatchee could have made some noise (at state),” said Sharkey. “They’re a quality football team.”

After watching his team make the playoffs but fall short of state for the third season in a row, Devereaux distanced himself from the crowd around the players after the game.

“I probably wouldn’t be able to compose myself (around the seniors),” he said. “Eventually the Panthers will get there (to state). I just might be in the stands.”

Brent Stecker: 661-5222

stecker@wenworld.com