NS: Battle Under Friday Night Lights Between Cheetahs and Panthers

“Having the game pegged as a ” MUST SEE” game by the media puts plenty of pressure on both teams to have a good game Friday night.”
Those are the comments of Prince Andrew Panthers head coach Joe Flemming. What he is referring to is the match up on Friday night between the Panthers and the Charles P Allen Cheetahs at Burnside Turf at 7:00pm.
Only one point separates the Cheetahs and Panthers in the Nova Division within the Nova Scotia Student Athletic Federation Football League (NSSAFFL). The winner of this game could decide who ends up in second place. The Cheetahs record coming into this game is 3-1-1 while the Panthers are 3-2-0.

Flemming says this matchup against the Cheetahs is extremely important to the team and explains why it isn’t just for the obvious reasons.

“Not so much because of what its impact on playoff matchups or our current record would be, but because we’re headed down the final stretch of the regular season schedule, and we need to be tough physically and mentally prior to going into the playoffs,”comments Flemming. “We’re taking it one game at a time, and we’re out to test our ability to stay mentally focused while playing in a big game against a very good team from CPA.”

Meanwhile, Cheetahs head coach Mike McPherson is not taking this game lightly either and is also looking forward to it.

“We are certainly looking forward to Friday night’s contest versus Prince Andrew,” says McPherson. “We have not seen a ton of Prince Andrew this season, but from what we have seen and heard, we will have our hands full Friday Night.”

The Cheetahs are coming off a loss at the hands of the first place Citadel Phoenix. McPherson says the team is trying to improve on their game play based on that loss.

“It is crucial we become accustomed to playing a full game, minimizing our mistakes, while ensuring we protect the football,” explains McPherson. “We struggled to do this last week vs. Citadel and it certainly made things very difficult for us to stay in the game.”

As for the Panthers, they are unfazed by the loss they suffered last week to the Halifax West Warriors. Flemming says that their confidence is improving as each game goes by during the season and knows what they have to do in order to be successful against the Cheetahs.

“We need to keep the intensity up and stay engaged for a full 60 minutes to win this game,” comments Flemming. “But we’ve got a great group of young athletes who are starting to realize just how good they can be when they fire on all cylinders, both physically and mentally, and that’s the team I plan on bringing with me to Burnside Friday night.”

Veterans expected to lead the Panthers on the field on Friday include tailback Andrew Klain, fullback/linebacker Ian Melanson, defensive back/special teams’ player Dylan Cossar, and offensive player Luke McCabe. Flemming also says that rookies Oshane Johnson (defense) and Jake Moore have evolved into elite players. He adds that they have garnered attention and has enjoyed watching them evolve over the course of the season.

League most valuable player candidate Jordan Koch will be one to watch on the field for the Cheetahs. So far this season, the receiver has amassed 638 all-purpose yards, and 214 rushing yards on 14 catches with one touchdown. Additionally, Koch has 34 receiving yards on 5 catches.

Cheetahs quarterback Andrew Adams has a 52.2 completion percentage (36 completions in 69 attempts for 418 yards and three touchdowns). Running back Louis Stephen has 359 yards on 62 runs and four touchdowns so far this season. Additionally, Stephen has 16 receiving yards on four catches.

On defense, linebackers Dustin MacCallum (17 tackle solos, 14 tackle assists) and Taylor MacDonald (21 tackle solos, 8 tackle assists and 3 sacks) will be the ones that try to stifle the Panthers offense.

McPherson is expecting the Cheetahs to be at the top of their game execution plan on Friday evening.

“As we both are coming off losses, I have no doubt it should be 60 minutes of
hard fought, physical football,” says McPherson. “We are counting on every guy that steps off the bus Friday to play up to their full potential and make the most of their opportunities.”

The Panthers have turned their fortunes around as their record last season was 1-7-0. It is one of the pleasant surprises in the NSSAFFL this season. While this is unfamiliar territory, Flemming says the team is finding their identity and playing style in the process.

“So far this season, we’ve discovered that our team possesses the skill and physical ability to not only battle, but we believe we can win against some of the best teams in the NSSAF,” comments Flemming. “Something that early on, was very difficult to do coming off of a few really poor seasons.”

Flemming says that the Cheetahs are a formidable opponent for the Panthers and is looking forward to the game.

“They’ve got great coaching over there at CPA, and they’ve got some great talent on both sides of the ball,” adds Flemming. “But so do we, and we’re playing to win.”

“I hope it’s an entertaining game for everybody, I know both teams are going to be ready for a big battle under the lights on a Friday night.”

(Photo courtesy of John DeCoste The Kings County Advertiser/Register)