NCAFA Football
Peewee Bengals, bantam Panthers post pair of weekend wins
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Orleans Bengals running back Chase Burke-Black successfully converted his team’s first touchdown against the Cumberland Panthers on Saturday which proved to be the difference in a 13-12 win. Fred Sherwin/Photo

The Orleans Bengals’ peewee team and the Cumberland Panthers bantam squad have both earned home field advantage in the upcoming National Capital Amateur Football Association playoffs after both teams posted wins in Week 7 of the season.

The Bengals managed to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Myers Riders last weekend to completely over whelm the North Gloucester Giants 64-6 behind a five touchdown performance by running back Jeremy Enyaka and a trio of TDs by his running mate Khalid Campbell. Bengals’ quarterback Luciano Diaz even got into the action, throwing a pair of touchdown passes to receiver Leelan Anthony.

The win improves the Bengals’ record to 6-1 with one game remaining against the East Ottawa Generals.

A win against the Generals this Friday night would give the Bengals first place in the East Conference outright. A loss would drop them into a possible three way tie with the Cumberland Panthers and the Cornwall Wildcats. Wins over both teams earlier in the season, however, would give still give the East Conference championship under the tiebreaking rules.

The Cumberland Panthers bantam team weren’t leaving anything to chance. A 48-0 win over the Bel-Air Lions on Sunday improved their record to a perfect 7-0, one game clear of the Kanata Knights and two games up on the Nepean Eagles, Bell Warriors and Rideau Redblacks.

The Panthers could just as easily be 8-0 if it wasn’t for the fact that their game against the Orleans Bengals in Week 6 had to be suspended in the second quarter when the lights at the St. Matthew High School field went out and couldn’t be turned back on. The game might be replayed next week, but it’s more likely it will be scratched altogether since the outcome wouldn’t effect the final standings in any way.

In their game against the Bel-Air Lions, Panthers’ starting quarterback Christian Veilleux threw four touchdown passes to three different receivers. Dante Spaduccini caught two of them, while Josh Ruby and Markaedyn Nelson had one each.

Spaduccini got a third touchdown on a running play that was set up by an 85-yard pass from Veilleux to Dominic Gobuyan, who took the ball down to the five-yard line. Panthers’ back-up quarterback Zach Clouthier also got in on the action, throw-ing a pair of touchdowns passes to Wilson and Spaduccini.

Cumberland Panther tykes remain undefeated

In other action on the weekend, the Panthers’ tyke team also remained un- beaten after downing the Nepean Eagles 54-19. Next up for the Panther tykes are the Cornwall Wildcats (4-3) this Sunday.

The Orleans Bengals mosquito team improved its record to 6-1 with a 37-12 win over the North Gloucester Giants, and the Cumberland Panther mosquito squad kept their A-Cup playoff hopes alive with a 34-0 win over the East Ottawa Generals to improve to 5-2.

The Panthers’ peewee team kept their A-Cup playoff hopes alive as well with a nail-biting 36-27 win over the Generals on Sunday that went down to the wire.

A win over the Bell Warriors (5-1) this Wednesday would move the Panthers into a tie for second place with the Cornwall Wildcats who they play in the regular season finale next Sunday.

(Updated 5 p.m., Oct. 9)

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