Paschal Football on the Rise

Paschal football is winning. After a 38-35 win over the Granbury Pirates on Friday night and a scrimmage win over South Hills High School last week, the Panthers are back and competitive.

Paschal Football has had its ups and downs over the years. The Panthers have not made the playoffs in over 30 years. This 2021 Paschal Panthers football team is attempting to change that. Following a 3-7 year in 2020, second year head coach John Killough was able to put the Panthers through his offseason program.

The whole team bought into Killough’s program and showed up every day ready to get to work. In return, the team got bigger, faster, and stronger as a team ,each member knew something special was coming up out of the darkness.

Paschal’s first scrimmage was against South Hills High School on August 19th. Following a tie in the scrimmage the previous year, the Panthers were ready to take the field. The Panthers dominated all night long on offense and defense. Chris Gee scored multiple times on long runs and quarterback Will Henry connected with Aidan Delacruz in the air for a massive 65 yard touchdown.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kyler Rose and Matthew Transou dominated on the defensive line all night long. Rodrique and Tommy Bell were also a big part on the defensive side of the ball. Following a great scrimmage, the Panthers got back to work with their eyes on the Granbury Pirates. The previous season the Pirates beat the Panthers 56-20. Needless to say, the Pirates were not ready for the new Panther team. The Panthers came out strong and never trailed during this game.

The Panthers scored on their second drive of the game when running back Chris Gee ran one into the endzone. The Pirates answered with a touchdown of their own, but the Panthers fired back two drives later when Tommy Bell punched a touchdown of his own into the endzone. Overall, the Panthers offense had an outstanding game.

Chris Gee rushed 28 times for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Averaging 8.5 yards per carry. Tommy Bell added a touchdown of his own and 138 yards rushing. Will Henry connected with Kyler Rose in the third quarter with a 8 yard touchdown pass.Niyonkuru Rodrique led the team in tackles on the defensive side of the ball with 18. He also added a pic six that helped the Panthers take a big lead in the third quarter.

Gray Gordon was 5-5 on kicks nailing 4 extra points and a 41 yard field goal. Chris Gee had a game winning interception with 2 minutes left on the clock that ensured the victory for the Paschal Panthers. The football team could not have had such an outstanding performance without the help of its student section.

Garron Walton, a Paschal High School Senior was asked about the experience she had at the game on Friday night. She stated, “I had a great experience at the football game. It felt like a community, something I haven’t felt with Paschal in a very long time.

The game had all of the students on their toes and everyone enjoyed watching our Panthers bring home the win. My friends and I will definitely be back next week!” As you can see, the students are very excited for the rest of the season ahead and are hoping that the Paschal Panthers can continue the success they have had so far.

Senior Football Captain Matthew Transou stated this,”We are going to take this season one week at a time, and hopefully the end result will be something special.” The Panthers take on the Richland Royals this week on Thursday Night, and the next home game is Thursday, September 9th at Farrington Field.