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AGANA HEIGHTS, Guam – A three-year wait wasn’t quite worth the wait for Guam High on Friday night.

“I knew they had a good squad, disciplined and hard-nosed team,” Guam coach Jacob Dowdell said after the Simon Sanchez Sharks blanked the Panthers 20-0, evening the Panthers’ record at 1-1. Sanchez took over first place in the league at 2-0, pending Saturday’s games.

It was Guam’s first football with Sanchez since 2014 and Dowdell said some things went well for his young team.

The Panthers racked up 280 yards in the first half, “but penalties cost us 175 of those yards,” Dowdell said. “That’s due to young mistakes, holding penalties, ineligible receivers downfield; those came up to bite us in the first half.”

The Panthers adjusted at halftime and blanked the Sharks in the second half, stopping them on three trips into the red zone.

Makoa Bamba had two catches for 85 yards and 10 tackles, while RaSean Jacobs was 6-for-18 for 115 yards and had eight tackles.

“I’m proud of the kids for being resilient,” Dowdell said. “It will pay off for us in the playoffs.”

Next comes the tougher part of the schedule for the Panthers, who play two-time defending league champion Father Duenas next Saturday.

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