Paola ? The only solace Ottawa High’s football team found Tuesday night was that the bus had a working heater on it for the ride home.

There was little other way to lift the Cyclones’ spirits following a season-ending, 35-14 loss on a frigid night at Paola, a team that ended their season for the second straight year in the first round of the state playoffs.

“Finality is a very difficult word,” Ottawa coach Pat Boeh said, “and any kid, especially seniors, it kind of ends a segment of their lives.”

But finality kicked in for the Cyclones because they were unable to protect an early 14-0 lead against a Paola squad that never flinched despite trailing. The Panthers kept their intensity up, while it appeared Ottawa relaxed too much.

Two quick scores before halftime, followed by a major defensive collapse on the first play of the third quarter, allowed Paola to take charge.

“In the first half we came out, shut down their run and did what we needed to do,” said sophomore Levi Bowen, who led the Cyclone defense with five tackles for a loss. “We got too cocky, and in the second half we just fell apart.”

Ottawa took command early, scoring on its first two possessions. Senior Jason Houston ran for 35 yards on the opening drive, including a five-yard touchdown run in which he broke two tackles.

The Cyclones’ defense smothered the Panthers’ rushing attack on the ensuing possession, and Houston followed with his second score, a one-yard plunge up the middle that put Ottawa ahead, 14-0.

At that point, the Cyclones had Houston and running back Dom Nation running well, and quarterback Gabe Sheffield was finding a rhythm. That ended when Paola got the ball back.

On third-and-long, Ottawa was called for roughing the passer, which gave Paola a first down. Six plays later, Brad Page slipped up the middle for an eight-yard touchdown.

The Panthers were just getting started.

Paola blocked Caleb Mitchell’s 30-yard field goal attempt, and then orchestrated a 10-play, 80-yard, drive that took just three minutes. Josh Strong’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Page on a wide-open fly pattern down the middle tied the game 56 seconds before halftime.

“We played pretty good defense that first half when you take away the penalties,” Boeh said. “In the second half, we gave up the big play on a trap. We just didn’t defend it very well.”

The big play came on Paola’s first of the third quarter. On a dive up the middle, Nathan Payne squirted free and streaked 73 yards to the Ottawa four-yard line. Two plays later, Strong trotted in for the go-ahead score.

Ottawa struggled to find an offensive rhythm the rest of the game. The Cyclones actually outgained the Panthers, 353 yards to 347, but their yards came in big chunks — Houston had carries of 22 and 30 yards in the fourth quarter, and Nation broke one for 17 — and never put Ottawa in position to score.

The Panthers put the game out of reach with two touchdown runs by Payne. Ottawa’s defense finally tightened up for the final eight minutes, but was unable to force a turnover or produce a quick score to cut into the deficit.

“We did too much too late,” Bowen said. “We just didn’t get the job done in the second half.”

Payne rumbled for a game-high 151 yards for Paola, and Houston rushed for 131 yards and had two catches for 41. Nation added 80 yards rushing.