Florin Bounces Back with a Victory over Kennedy
September 11, 2024

Kennedy arrived late to the Jungle, nickname for the Florin Student Rooting Section and Panther Park at Florin HS. 

Pulling an Ed Johnson, old time Florin Head Coach tactic, notorious for arriving late to a game attempting to psyche out the other team, the Cougars arrived 15 minutes before game time. 

Coach Harris told Elite Blue Chip, “Both (Noelle) Marquez and I had one eye preparing our team and another eye in the parking lot to see if they (Kennedy) was going to make it.” 

Meanwhile the Panthers stayed hydrated and cool due to contributions from Mr. Garcia’s Law Academy and Deputy Hauk donating Gatorade and wet towels for the game. 

Law Academy student-athlete, Estefania Ortiz joked, “the additional electrolytes most definitely was the difference in the game. Did we not play better?”

The Panthers, determined to redeem themselves after an embarrassing loss to Valley the previous day, ambushed the Cougars with a barrage of Erin Foster, Aneesa Perkins and Janiya Brister. 

QB1, Jayda Lewis led the offense to two early scores. 

Early in the first quarter, Lewis found Brister down the seam. The Kennedy safety broke on the ball and got a finger on it, but the sophomore phenom plucked the ball out of the air and raced to the end zone. 

The Panthers took an early 6-0 lead. 

After Kennedy drove all the way down to the Florin two yard line, just to be thwarted by the ‘bend but don’t break’ Florin defense. The Panthers went on another drive. This time it was on the fake reverse. 

Foster grabbed the sweep and feinted the reverse to Brister and was off to the races after a beautiful spin move. Foster got all the way to the 10 yard line before she ran out of gas. 

The next play Lewis faked beautifully to Lamia Perkins then pulled and pitched to Brister who raced down the sidelines for another Florin Panther Touchdown. 

Florin was up 12-0

Janiya Brister scored two TDs

Kennedy 4’9 speedster, Ahkeelah Harris bolted down the sidelines for a Kennedy touchdown and the Cougars made it a game. 

Florin led 12-6. 

After another drive was stifled by the Panther defense, Florin scored again on a beautiful throw to Aneesa Perkins to put the Panthers up 18-6 in the second half and the Panthers were in control of the game. 

“Today we went with the wind. I didn’t care if we gave them (Kennedy) the ball to start both halves. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.” Coach Harris said in his post game interview. 

Florin’s defense grabbed two more interceptions as Janiya Brister and Zavanna Payne both stepped in front of Kennedy passes for picks. 

Defensively, Panther Newcomers Kimia Rhinehart , Jazira Arteaga-Khandilyan and veterans Hazel Her and ‘where’s Blanca Rios-Garibay harrassed QB1, Nielah Cornelius all afternoon. 

Zavanna Payne is wide open down field.

Kat Doonan, Katelyn Chan, A’yahna Phillips, Paris Jones,  Vienna Flores, Kaylonie Davis, Naomi Belcher, Maria Ortiz and DeAn Preston pursued and pulled Cougar flags with a vengeance. 

Marquez added, “We held them three times in the red zone. I am really proud of how resilient our defense was today.”

Harris added, “We play better at home. The vibe is different.  We do it right with a national anthem, music rocking, The Jungle (student section) made a difference. Professor Lee jumped on the Mic.”

The Panthers have a perfect home record, but tomorrow will head out again on the road. Florin is 0-3 when getting on the bus. If the Panthers are going to become Champions they are going to have to learn how to win games away from the home confines of Panther Park. 

Janiya Brister scores again.

Florin will be on the road for a 5:30 contest, as they resume Greater Sacramento League play tomorrow against West Campus. 

Panther PRIDE. I’m ALL in!