OFC: Panthers rule the forrest

The Panthers found their rhythm last Sunday with a 26-7 win over the Forrest City Thunderbirds.
Head Coach Gary Jordan was pleased with the performance, which brought them their first regular season win.

“Exactly what our team needed to get things back on track,” said Jordan. “We needed that confidence. Now the team is uplifted going into this weekend’s game against Sudbury. It was pretty good for our team to get this win.”
Jordan attributed the win to a number of things. Not least of which was the fact that all three of their running backs, who had been injured, were back on the field.
“The main thing was getting our running backs back,” he said. “So that was a big plus for us so we could establish our running game.”
Jordan was equally satisfied with the team’s performance on defence, something the score speaks to well.
“Defensively, we played an outstanding game,” he said. “We set the tone right from the beginning. We had an interception on their first drive which set the tone for the whole game. And offense just had to pretty much back up what the defense was doing and overall it was a pretty good game.”

Jordan made note of Defensive tackle Courtney Ellis. Ellis was a big stopping force for the team, registering several tackles and a sack.
The Panthers head north this Saturday to face the Sudbury Gladiators. Jordan is confident but knows what the team needs to work on.
“We expect to bring that same intensity defensively in the next game,” he said. “Offensively we still have to find our rhythm. We got a lot better last week, but we left a ton of points off the board.”