Elizabethtown beat out the Golden Lions in tonight’s Class 3A playoff opener at Garrard County by a score of 23-0.

Elizabethtown ended the first quarter with a touchdown and a failed attempt at an extra point, going wide left on the field goal.

With only 6 seconds left in the second quarter the Panthers snuck a field goal through the left side of the goal posts on the last play of the half going up 9-0.

The Panthers never looked back, increasing their lead to 16-0 by the end of the third quarter and adding another touchdown and extra point in the fourth quarter to end the game with a 23-0 win for the Panthers.

The Panthers were 3-7 in the regular season this year and had gone 3-2 since their start with the losses coming to 3A powerhouses Christian Academy-Louisville and Louisville Central.

“All teams that are in the playoffs have earned it,” EHS interim head coach Alfredo Silva told the News-Enterprise in Elizabethtown prior to the game. “I think they (Garrard County) are a tough-nosed team, coached well by coach (Spencer) Crutchfield, and you never know what can happen. We have to drive to their place, and I expect the team to play well. Everything is earned.”

Both teams were 3-7 in the regular season. The Golden Lions finished second in 3A, District 4 and the Panthers were third in District 3.

This is the third time the Golden Lions' playoff hopes have been dashed by the Panthers.

In their previous encounters, the Golden Lions have faced challenging games against the Panthers. In 2003, the second-round match saw Garrard County fall 36-0, a game in which they sorely missed their star quarterback Spencer Crutchfield due to injury. Despite a solid 140-yard performance from backup Bruce Williams, the Panthers' defensive prowess was on full display with two interception returns in the second quarter that derailed any hopes of a Golden Lions' comeback.

The following year, Garrard County faced Elizabethtown once again in a second-round game that ended with a 47-18 scoreline in favor of E-town. Despite impressive individual performances, including Dan Leavell's interception return touchdown, Garrard County could not overcome a 27-point rally by the Panthers in the second quarter.

The first-round playoff loss on Friday night leaves the Golden Lions with a home playoff record of 14-5, and an overall playoff record of 21-30.