NCAFA Minor Football
Peewee Panthers meet their match in battle of the unbeatens
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Cumberland Panthers running back Jaylen King gets tackled by a Kanata Stallion defender during first half action in their game on Friday. Fred Sherwin/Photo

The Cumberland Panthers quest for the NCAFA peewee championship hit a major speed bump on Friday night as they fell 21-6 to the Kanata Stallions.

In a game that featured the league's only two unbeaten teams, the Stallions were bigger, faster and mentally better prepared to play in a match-up of that magnitude.

They also took better care of the ball. The usually sure-handed Panthers had six turnovers.

The Panthers actually took a
6-0 lead early in the second quarter, but it was short-lived as the Stallions ran the ensuing kick-off back 85 yards and then added the convert to go up 7-6.

They scored again early in the third quarter on a 70-yard drive that took 10 plays, culminating in a four yard run up the middle by Jake Nicholson.

The long drive seemed to take all the steam out of the Panthers both literally and figuratively. The defence had been on the field an inordinate amount of time and they were beginning to show signs of fatigue.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers' usually explosive offense was being shutdown by Kanata's defence. Except for Tyrone Pierre's long run that set up their one and only touchdown of the game, the Panthers had scant few plays that went over 10 yards. The few times they did manage to pick up some decent yardage, they ended up turning the ball over.

The Stallions, meanwhile, continued to grind it out, adding an insurance touchdown in the fourth quarter to make the final score 20-6.

Afterwards, Panthers head coach Chirs Molinski tried to put a positive spin on the loss.

"The only time we won a championship, we lost a game during the regular season and every time we went in undefeated we lost in the playoffs," said Molinski. "So you know what? This is a little bit of humble pie for this teram, which isn't a bad thing. We knew it wasn't going to be a cake walk. We just have to make some adjustments and get better. That's what good teams do."

Because of a quirk in the schedule, the Panthers play their final game of the regular season against the Canterbury Mustangs next weekend and then enjoy a bye before the playoffs begin.

(Posted 3 p.m., Sept. 27)

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