Panthers Lose Nailbiter to the Cougars
September 18, 2024
The Florin Lady Panthers headed to Kennedy to take on the Cougars in a rubber match game. Florin defeated Kennedy 18-6 in their previous contest and the Cougars left feeling determined to ‘run it back’.
Florin came into the contest with a bag full of french fries, hamburgers and locked gates.
In one of the most exciting games of the year, the Florin Panthers found a way to lose in triple overtime to the Kennedy Cougars 24-18.
The Panthers won the toss and deferred. Kennedy grabbed the ball and drove right down the field and scored.
Jazzy Landers scpres a TD and recorded a big catch down the middle for a 30yd catch.
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Full of plastic and carcinogens, Florin came into the contest sluggishly overconfident.
After stalling out on their first drive, The Panthers QB1 Jayda Lewis connected with Zavanna Payne who pitched the ball to Lamia Perkins on a ‘hook and ladder’ and the Panthers were at midfield. Then Lewis hit Jazzy Landers down the middle and then again in the flat for a Panther TD and Florin tied the game 6-6.
Kennedy disrespectfully went for it on 4th and short in their own backyard and Senior A’yahna Phillips defense made a play forcing the Cougars off the field.
The closest the Panthers would get was to the Cougar 10 yard line. Two errant passes later Florin turned the ball over on downs.
The following series Kennedy tried to throw deep and was picked off by two way star Erin Foster. The Panther strong safety returned the ball 20 yards and Florin was in business.
Lewis immediately went to the air to Aneesa Perkins in the corner of the end zone for a Florin Touchdown and the Panthers went into the half up 12-6.
Erin Foster has been the offensive catalyst of the team
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Kennedy would go on to score to tie the game 12-12.
After both teams had difficulty moving the ball, all of a sudden the game went into frantic mode.
The Panthers completed another ‘hook and ladder’ for another 30 yards into Cougar territory with time running out. With 53 seconds left in the game, Lewis hit Foster in the flat for a 5 yard touchdown and the Panthers had what seemingly looked like a tough victory, but instead it turned into a nightmare.
Ahead 18-12 with 53 seconds left in the game, the worst thing that could possibly happen, happened.
Kennedy found a way to score in 45 seconds. The Panther secondary again barely missed knocking down balls when in position to make plays. Kennedy scored on a desperation pass and it worked.
The Panthers and Cougars after regulation were dead locked at 18 points a piece.
Lamia Perkins has been getting loose on the Hook and Ladder
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In this case the ball is placed on the 20 yard line and both teams get four plays to score. At one point the Panthers were at the Cougar two yard line, but could not find a way.
In the 3rd overtime period, Kennedy’s dynamo Ahkeehla Harris got outside contain and bolted down the sidelines to the Panther two yard line. The Cougars then taking a page out of the Panther playbook ran a shovel pass and the game was a wrap.
Kennedy upset the Panthers 24-18
Coach Harris pontificated, “Life like football is a game of inches, we have to keep fighting for inches. We didn't do that today. We didn’t finish. Kennedy began to learn as the game went on. They played a man scheme and made us take shots down field. We had our opportunities. We just couldn’t capitalize when we needed to.
Defensively, the Panthers flag pull leaders were A’yahna Phillips with (6), Erin Foster with (5), Kat Doonan (4) and Paris Jones with four flag pulls a piece.
Coaches Harris & Marquez giving directions in triple Overtime.
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The Panthers will have to rebound quickly as they play one of the biggest games of the year as Florin will host the Johnson Warriors in the first Homecoming Game ever played at Florin High School.
PantherPRIDE
I’m ALL in!
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