Copyright vernonmorningstar
Neither cold, wind, driving rain, or a determined opponent could keep the Vernon Panthers from accomplishing their mission, which they chose to heartily accept. The Panthers – the No. 1-ranked AA senior varsity football team in B.C. – won the Interior Conference Senior Varsity Football League championship with a hard-fought 37-14 victory over city rivals, the 10th-rated Fulton Maroons, Friday, Oct. 24, at Greater Vernon Athletic Park. “Credit to Fulton — the score doesn’t show how tough they played,” said Panthers head coach Sean Smith. “They brought it and made us earn everything.” Despite the nasty weather conditions, the Cats wasted no time setting the tone, scoring on all four of their first-half drives to take a 28-0 lead into half time. Quarterback Ayden McDonald opened the scoring on the Panthers’ first possession with a dazzling 30-yard touchdown run. Early in the second quarter, McDonald electrified the large crowd again, breaking loose for a 75-yard major that showcased his elite speed and field vision. McDonald finished the night with six carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns — both on the ground. “It was tough weather for throwing, but Ayden continues to be a difference-maker every week,” said Smith. “He’s a leader and always finds a way to make plays.” The Panthers’ new red rush jerseys made their debut under the lights on RED OUT Night, and so did running back Owen West, who powered the offence with three touchdowns of his own — two in the first half and another in the third quarter. West finished with 12 carries for 109 yards, while also leading the defence with six tackles. “Owen was an animal on both sides of the ball,” said Smith. “He was all over the field making plays on defence, and with the weather limiting our passing game, he was a horse carrying the load offensively.” The Panther defence contributed to the scoring early in the second half, forcing a safety to push the lead to 30-0. West’s third touchdown of the game, a 20-yard run, capped the Vernon scoring. Vernon held the Maroons scoreless until late in the third quarter. German international student Johann Wolter continued to impress with five tackles, while linebacker Taven Stroh added four. Fulton battled until the final whistle, finding the end zone twice late in the game — both rushing touchdowns from Caden O’Dwyer, including one as time expired. “Full credit to VSS for the win. They are a very fast team, athletic and very well-coached,” said Maroons bench boss Mike Scheller. “They just make big plays and that is what defeated us tonight. They made big plays in big situations. They rushed for 80 yards on three fumbled snaps. “Ayden MacDonald is a cheat code for them. He makes something out of nothing and breaks big plays. That is tough to defend. They catch and make breaks. Congrats to them on the win, they played better.” O’Dwyer finished the game with a dazzling 191 yards rushing on 25 carries. Finn Holliday ran for 24 yards on five carries, and Altwasser added 23 yards on 10 carries. O’Dwyer, a Grade 11 standout, led the Maroons defensively with four tackles and a quarterback sack. Chayton Kossowan and Holliday had three tackles each, and Brandon Gotro added a pair. “I am super happy with the way our kids fought and played,” said Scheller. “Our pass game was affected by the weather and we need to get better passing the football. The weather was awful, but we did not stop playing hard all game. We were tough on the offensive and defensive lines. Line coaches Yuri Melnychuk and Jon McIntyre had the boys fired up. We hit hard, and ran hard. “Defensively, our game plan was good. Defensive coaches Fraser Waldron and Sam Hogenhout did a great job with our defense this week. We just missed some tackles and did not break down on a very fast player (McDonald). He hit us with some big runs. It was great effort from our kids against the No.1 team in the province. O’Dwyer played fantastic for us on both sides of the ball. He was a force for us all game.” With the win, the Panthers have a perfect 5-0 record heading toward the post-season in November. They are likely to secure the top seed going into provincial playoffs. Vernon will close out their regular season at home Friday, Oct. 31, when they host the Pleasant Valley Hawks of Armstrong at 7 p.m. at GVAP Stadium. The Hawks saw their record drop to 1-5 with a 15-0 loss to the South Kamloops Titans Saturday, Oct. 25, in Kamloops. South Kam improved to 4-1. The Maroons are 3-2 and tied for third place in the Interior AA Conference with the Westsyde/Valleyview Blue Wave of Kamloops. The two teams meet Halloween night in Kamloops (7 p.m., Hillside Stadium). The Seaton/Kalamalka Sonics (2-4) travel to Kamloops Saturday, Nov. 1, for an afternoon date with the Titans. Game time is 12 p.m. at Hillside Stadium. READ MORE: Teams, fans set for Battle of Vernon football showdown READ MORE: Battle of Vernon senior football showdown looms large
