Things are heating up in Cumberland.
So far, the junior varsity Cumberland Panthers are on a roll this season.
Last week, the Panthers defeated the Kingston Grenadiers 41-14 to remain undefeated with a 2-0 record.
Head Coach Warren Steeves was happy with the way his team’s defense was able to stifle the Grenadiers running game.
“You have to be able to stop the run in this league,” said Steeves. “You have to force other teams to be one dimensional.”
In week 3, the Panthers will match up against a winless Markham Raiders team.
Steeves says a key for his team is to run the football, which will aid the Panthers’ strong passing game so far this season.
Quarterback Pascal Roy Lapansee has been strong at starter so far this season. In Week 2, he threw for three touchdowns and 235 yards,
Baxter Balthazar is off to a blazing start for the Panthers. So far, he has rushed for over 200 yards.
Jamal Mavinga, Nick Renaud and Dylan St. Pierre have all been effective receivers for the Panthers. Each had a touchdown in Week 2, with Mavinga and Renaud compiling over 100 receiving yards each.
Defensively, the Panthers have been strong. It is headed by defensive ends Luiji Vilain and NiCarlo Funai as well as defensive tackle Sam Obiong.
Meanwhile, they varsity Panthers are winless so far but looks poised for a breakout. They are on the hunt for their first win after coming up short in a 25-12 loss to Kingston last weekend.
“We have to play a full 60 minutes,” said Varsity Head Coach Ron Raymond, “Right now, it’s like were playing only 50.”
Despite the 0-2 start, Raymond still likes the talent and sees great potential if they can eliminate errors and execute plays.
One area of success has been the passing game. In Week 2, the Panthers quarterback Justin Poitras had 206 passing yards and a touchdown, while receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. caught seven passes for 121 yards.
Raymond notes that the varsity Panthers have to focus on execution and mental toughness in Week 3.
“We’re very close to getting over the hump,” added the Panthers Head Coach. “We just have to overcome mental barriers.”
“We have a lot of talent on this team.”
Raymond also lauds the work so far of place kicker Jonathan Meyer, who had a 19 yard field goal and two PATs last weekend.
This weekend, the varsity Panthers will host the Markham Raiders at Millenium Field.
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