Panthers’ Senior Football remarkable season ends just short of championship

Paris Panthers Coaches give a pep talk during last Friday’s AAHBN final game. Members of this year’s 2025 Senior Team includes: Tyler Rush, Easton Koen, Bhav Aujla, Nolan Generoux, Devan Minshall, Noah Brewer, Nolan Innanen, Carter Hunt, Ryan Smith. Myles Bailey, Colton Gloade, Ian Souliere, Jamal Bakare, Tayshawn Malcolm, Maisen Vincente, Garrett Haskins, Russ Van Wolferen, Grant Smith, Rogan Cormier, Carter Dela Rosa, Jacob Horsfall, Nathan Winter, Hunter Delany, Case Ruttan, Eshaan Gill, Ethan Preagnell, Jack Bailey, Hayden Phillips, Gunnar Grant, Lukas Timmermans, Nolan Ayres, Matt Mahlman, Zak Vey, Taygen Steenkamp, Axel Cormier, Chris Kinsman, Jack Cushing, Dylan Drinkle, Marryck Wrzala.

George Le Gresley

Sports Correspondent 

The second Paris team to qualify for an AABNH championship this month is the senior football team, which faced the St John’s Eagles last Friday at the Gretzky Centre field. 

They defeated Assumption 28-8 last Thursday in the semi finals, in what can be described as terrible for spectators, but for Head Coach Kelly, cold, rainy weather, which is ideal for his Panthers. Friday’s started with rain and wind in the morning, and the evening was overcast, with temperatures of 8-10 degrees. By game time the moon was full; it was warm for November – and not the ideal weather coach Kelly was hoping for.

The Panthers started the game by kicking off to St. John’s, whose offense drove the ball down the field to score a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. At the end of the first quarter, scores again for a 14-0 lead.

In the second quarter, the Panthers, mixing running the ball with an out-of-character string of passing plays, brought the ball to the one-yard line, where quarterback Carter Hunt called his own number for a quarterback keeper, making the score 14-7.

Errors and penalties can kill a team, and a fumble by a Paris receiver was recovered by St. John’s, who eventually scored another major and a 28-7 lead at halftime.

In the second half, neither team could score, except when Paris, caught deep in its own end, conceded a 2-point safety, leaving the final score 30-7.

All in all, it was a successful season, with only one goal left unmet: a championship. You have to remember that these Panthers achieved more with a smaller bench than other schools have. The coaching staff deserves kudos for their hard work in teaching life skills that these athletes will have for the rest of their lives. For of the players on this roster, Friday’s game is the end of the line as a football player.