Football (2022)

Panthers Overcome Slow Start to Advance to NCS Semis

November 12th, 2022--In their first NCS playoff game, the Panthers hosted the Arcata High Tigers who came into the game red hot as they jumped on the Panthers early in the 1st quarter to take a 13-0 lead. However, that was all the Tigers could muster offensively as the Panthers had quite the response as they would score the next 42 points unanswered, beating Arcata by the score of 42-13 to advance to the NCS Semifinals for the first time since the 2014 season.

The Panthers scored their first points of the game on a 4th and 1 touchdown run by Senior Running Back, Kyle Goree, cutting into the early deficit by the score of 13-7. On their next offensive possession, the Panthers would find the end zone on another Goree touchdown run, giving the Panthers a 14-13 lead and they would never look back. Gore would finish the game scoring a total of 4 touchdowns on the day, which was also complimented by a 70-yard touchdown pass by Senior Quarterback, Finn Hartney, to fellow Senior Wide Receiver, Malachi Young. Senior Wide Receiver, Paul Wilson, would also contribute on the scoresheet as Hartney would find him on a touchdown pass late in the 4th quarter, putting a stamp on the Panthers victory.

Following the game, Wilson said that the team was not prepared, or awake, coming into the game. After they went down 13-0, they realized they needed to play hard, so they came together as a team for a good win.

The Panthers will host the Pinole Valley High Spartans on Saturday, November 19th, at 1pm, and will look to advance to the NCS Title Game for the first time since 2014. Go Panthers!

Panthers Accomplishment Historic Feat on Their Way to A TCAL Title

November 4th, 2022--On a cold Friday evening in Vallejo, the Panthers Varsity Football team traveled to take on the St. Patrick-St. Vincent Bruins (SPSV) which was the program’s biggest game of the year in over five years. This game showcased offenses that were basically complete opposites of each other in terms of pace of play as the Bruins featured an up tempo, no huddle offensive attack, whereas the Panthers offense were more "time of possession" oriented. At the end of the night, the latter would prove to be victorious as the Panthers would capture their first TCAL League Championship since the 2015-2016 season. Also, to add on to their league title, the Panthers would accomplish a historic feat as they would finish the regular season a perfect 10-0 for the first time in program history.

Similar to the JV game, the Panthers fell behind early in the first quarter following a touchdown by the Bruins to open the game, but the Panthers immediately responded with a 24-yard rushing touchdown by Junior Running Back, Samahdi Scott, giving the Panthers a 7-6 lead in the 1st quarter. The Panthers would then immediately extend their lead in the second quarter on a 81-yard screen pass from Senior Quarterback, Finn Hartney, to Senior Running Back, Logan Tanisaki. The Bruins would answer with a touchdown of their own late in the second quarter, but the Panthers would go into halftime with a 14-12 advantage.

The third quarter proved to be the best quarter of the season for the Panthers as Senior Standout and Team Leader, Kyle Goree, would take the opening kickoff of the second half all the way back for a touchdown. Goree would also add to his third quarter total by throwing a touchdown pass to fellow Senior Tight End, Austin Rogol, to give the Panthers a 28-12 lead. The Bruins would respond with one more touchdown, but it proved to not be enough as the Panthers defense held strong, sealing the victory and the TCAL Championship.

In regards to the defense, they were sensational the entire evening in shutting down the high-powered, up-tempo Bruins’ offense as they forced 4 interceptions. Senior Defensive Back, Malachi Young, recorded 2 interceptions, Senior Tanisaki recorded an interception as it was the first of his Saint Mary’s career, and Senior Defensive Back, Alejandro Tejeda Gonzales, recorded one as well.

Even though it was an evening to celebrate what the team accomplished, the Panthers will now shift their attention towards next week as they will begin their journey for an NCS Championship. The Panthers will find out their seed and their opponent this Sunday, November 6^th. Congratulations Panthers!

JV Squad Captures TCAL Title, Finish 7-1-1 On the Year

November 4th, 2022--On a late afternoon in Vallejo, the Panthers JV Football Team traveled to take on the St. Patrick-St. Vincent Bruins (SPSV) in what was the biggest game of the season for this young squad. After falling early in the game by the score of 7-0, the Panthers responded late in the first quarter on a rushing touchdown by no other than Freshman Running Back, Marcus Hughes, cutting the deficit to one point, 7-6. However, the Bruins would start their next drive with big plays of their own until Freshman Defensive Back, Emiliano Ceron, ended the Bruins drive with a key interception. Both teams would end the first half with strong defensive play with the Panthers trailing at halftime by one.

However, in the second half, it was all Panthers as they would take the lead in the 3^rd quarter by the score of 12-7 on a 1-yard run by Hughes for his second touchdown of the game. Late in the 4^th quarter, the Panthers got a key sack on 4^th down by Sophomore Defensive Lineman, Joseph Bryant, which was then followed by Hughes' 7-yard rushing touchdown, which was his third total touchdown of the game. The next Bruins offensive possession late in the contest was put to a halt as Sophomore Linebacker, Anthony Cammack, intercepted a Bruin’s pass to seal not only the Panther victory, but also propelled the Panthers to a TCAL Championship title, a major accomplishment and turnaround for this program after only winning one game last season. Congratulations JV Panthers!

Panthers Celebrate Senior Day with Win, Improve to 9-0

October 29th, 2022--In the final home game of the regular season, the Panthers celebrated Senior Day as they hosted the Maria Carrillo Pumas of Santa Rosa and capped off the celebration with a 19-7 victory to keep the undefeated season alive. The Panthers’ victory displayed a great rushing game that was complimented by strong defense. The Panthers opened the scoring as Senior Running Back, Kyle Goree, would cash in on an 8-yard touchdown run to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead. After a showing of strong defense from both teams following the early Panthers’ touchdown, the Panthers would extend their lead on a Kyle Goree pass to Senior Tight End, Austin Rogol, giving the Panthers a 13-0 lead at halftime.

The Panthers opened the second half going 3 and out, and a short punt by the Panthers allowed the Pumas to get on the board with a rushing touchdown, cutting into the Panthers lead by the score of 13-7. Following the Pumas touchdown, a defensive struggle would take place where both teams found it difficult to manufacture any offense. In fact, one critical turnover of the game came from Senior, Kyle Goree, who recovered a fumble deep within Panthers’ territory to deny the Pumas of an opportunity to score and take the lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Following the turnover, the Panthers would capitalize as Senior Running Back, Logan Taniskai, would score on a 50-yard run to make it a 19-7 game. The Panthers would then put a stamp on their victory as Junior Free Safety, Marley Filson, would put the game away, helping the Panthers improve to 9-0. After the game, Senior Receiver, Alejandro Tejeda Gonzales, said they practiced all week knowing this was a team that liked to run, and they showed up to play on defense. They couldn’t have done it without Kyle and the entire defense. Finn said they didn’t do anything differently this week. They played aggressive as always and got the win.

The Panthers will now look forward to their last regular season game of the season as they will take on another undefeated TCAL foe, the SPSV Bruins, in Vallejo on Friday, November 4^th. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.

Panthers Take Down Red Hawks, Remain Undefeated

October 15th, 2022--On a Saturday afternoon at Brady Park, the Panthers took on fellow TCAL foe, the Vallejo High Red Hawks, and defeating them by the score of 35-7. The Panthers offense and defense set the tone earlier as the Panthers defense forced three consecutive 3-and-outs for the Red Hawk offense in their first three possessions of the game, and their offense would waste no time finding the end zone on back-to-back opening possessions as Senior Running Back, Kyle Goree, would find the end zone twice.

The Red Hawks would answer back with a touchdown of their own, cutting the Panthers early lead to 14-7. However, the Panthers would score on the following possession as Junior Running Back, Elijah Hines, would find the end zone on an 18-yard run. Hines would find the end zone, once again, on a 10-yard run, giving the Panthers a 28-7 lead at halftime.

The Panthers would then find the end zone one more time following a fumble recovery by Junior Lineman, Angel Rios, which was the first of his career, putting a stamp on a 35-7 victory.

The Panthers will look to extend their undefeated winning streak to 8 games as they will travel to Richmond on Friday, October 21^st, to take on the Richmond High Oilers at 7pm.

JV Panthers and Red Hawks Tie in Defensive Duel

October 15th, 2022--In a season that has featured a highly successful rushing attack, the Panthers offense could not find the end zone against the Vallejo High Red Hawks. However, the Red Hawks also could not find the end zone either as both team’s strong defenses

were the story of the day in a 0-0 tie.

Panthers Handle Eagles in TCAL Opener, Improve to 6-0.

October 9^th, 2022—On a Saturday afternoon that featured two 5-0 teams, and what would be the Panthers toughest test of the season so far, the Panthers were up to the challenge as they soundly defeated the Kennedy High Eagles by the score of 37-0 to open 

up TCAL play and improving to 6-0 on the year.

However, the first few plays of the game featured strong defensive play from both teams as the Panthers defense forced a fumble on Eagles second offensive play on the 5-yard line but could not capitalize offensively as the Eagles defense kept the Panthers out of the end zone. However, despite failing to score after forcing the early Eagles turnover, the Panthers defense would finally open the scoring as Senior Running Back and Linebacker, Kyle Goree, tackled the Eagles running back in his own end zone for a safety, giving the Panthers an early 2-0 lead. From that point on, the Panthers were in full control of the game as Goree would find the zone on the Panthers next two possessions with a rushing touchdown, and also his first ever passing touchdown in his Panthers career as he found fellow Senior, Austin Rogol, on an 8-yard pass, giving the Panthers a 17-0.

Senior Quarterback, Finn Hartney, would also get in on the action as he would find fellow Senior, Paul Wilson, on a 8-yard touchdown pass, giving the Panthers a 24-0 lead at halftime.

In the fourth quarter, the Panthers defense would also find the end zone themselves as Junior Linebacker and Running Back, Samahdi Scott, returned an interception 65 yards to cap off a one-sided victory for the Panthers.

The Panthers rushing attack, as it has been all year, proved to be too much for the Eagles defense to handle. However, instead of Goree being the main focus of the ground game on the day for the Panthers, Junior Running Backs, Samahdi Scott and Elijah Hines, had great days on the ground as well, giving the Panthers a trio of running backs to choose from as they head in to league play.

Also, on the defensive side of the ball, this was the fourth time this season that the Panthers defense has posted a shutout.

The Panthers will look to build off their impressive victory as they will host the Vallejo High Red Hawks in another TCAL affair. The game is scheduled for Saturday, October 15^th, at 1:30pm.

JV Football’s Rushing Attack and Defense Proves Too Much for Eagles

October 9^th, 2022—On a Saturday afternoon that featured two tough teams where the expectations of a tightly conte sted game were on the horizon, the Panthers JV squad proved to be too much for the Kennedy High Eagles in what turned out to be a one-sided affair in a 25-0 victory.

As it has been the case for the Panthers JV team, the rushing attack that has featured Freshman phenom, Marcus Hughes, was on full display once again as the Panthers four touchdowns of the game came on the ground. Hughes scored three of the Panthers four touchdowns on the day and rushed for over 100 yards on the day.  The Panthers other touchdown came from an unexpected player as Sophomore lineman, Joseph Bryant, who has been known for his great offensive line play and stout defensive line play, got in on the fun and recorded his first ever rushing touchdown in his Panthers career from one yard out.

On the other side of the ball, the Panther defense was also on full display as they stifled the Eaglesoffense, forcing three turnovers and keeping them off the scoreboard for the day. This was also the second shutout of the season for the Panthers defense as well.

The Panthers will look to build off of their impressive victory as they will host the Vallejo High Red Hawks next Saturday, October 15^th, at 11am.

Panthers Dominate on Homecoming Day

October 1st, 2022—On a day where Saint Mary’s welcomed back their alums to Peralta Park, the Saint Mary’s Panthers were amazing from start to finish in their Homecoming Game against the San Lorenzo High Grizzlies, winning in decisive fashion by the score of 48-0. In the Panthers first drive of the game, the offense set the tone from the very first play as Senior Running Back, Kyle Goree, had a 50-yard rushing touchdownto give the Panthers an early 7-0 lead. Then, on the very next offensive possession, Goree would find the end zone once again, extending the lead to 14-0.

In the second quarter, Senior Quarterback, Finn Hartney, would get in on the action and throw two touchdown passes to Goree and Senior Wide Receiver, Malachi Young. Goree would also find the end zone for a 4^th time to give the Panthers a 35-0 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Panthers offense would score two more times as Junior Running Backs, Elijah Hines and Kamau Edwards would score on rushing touchdowns of their own.

The Panthers defense were also terrific throughout the whole game as the Grizzlies could not establish their offense and get into a rhythm, keeping them off the scoreboard for the day. This shutout victory is the 3^rd time this season that the Panthers defense has kept their opponents off the scoreboard.

The Panthers will move into TCAL play as they will host the Kennedy High Eagles of Richmond. The game is schedule for Saturday, October 8^th, at 1pm.

Panthers Offense Shines in Win Over Highlanders

September 23rd, 2022--On a Friday evening in Piedmont, California, the Panthers took down former Bay Shore Athletic League (BSAL) foe, the Piedmont Highlanders, in convincing fashion as they would go on to win 49-15.

The Panthers had a balanced offensive attack as both their rushing and aerial attack were sharp throughout the entire evening. In the 1^st quarter, Senior Running Backs, Logan Tanisaki and Kyle Goree, opened up the scoring for the Panthers as they found the end zone on terrific runs, giving the Panthers a 14-0 lead.

In the 2^nd quarter, the Panthers offense extended their lead as they would find the end zone three more times. Senior Quarterback, Finn Hartney, would find fellow Senior Tight End, Austin Rogol, on a touchdown pass giving the Panthers a 21-0 lead early in the quarter. In the Panthers next two offensive possessions, Tanisaki and Junior Running Back, Samahdi Scott, would find the end zone on long rushing touchdowns of their own to blow the game open, giving the Panthers a 35-0 lead at halftime.

In the second half, the Highlanders showed signs of life as they scored on the opening possession of the half. However, the Panthers would find the end zone two more times, giving them a 49-15 victory.

Tanisaki’s terrific game allowed him to rush for more than 100 yards for the evening, the first time he has accomplished this feat in his Saint Mary’s career.

The Panthers will return to Brady Park as they take on the San Lorenzo Grizzlies in their Homecoming Game next Saturday, October 1^st. Kickoff is scheduled for 1pm.

Ground Game and Defense Propel Panthers JV Team

September 23rd, 2022--On a late Friday afternoon in Piedmont, California, the JV football team held on to win 20-14 over former Bay Shore Athletic League (BSAL) foe, the Piedmont Highlanders. The Panthers jumped out of the gate firing on all cylinders as they took their opening drive for a touchdown

in the 1^st quarter as Freshman Wide Receiver, Jayson Webb, scored on a touchdown run to give the Panthers a 6-0 lead.  Webb’s touchdown was the only score of the half as the both the Panthers and Highlanders defenses showcased stingy defenses.

The second half of the game displayed more excitement as both teams would generate more points on the board. The Panthers extended their lead early in the 3^rd quarter as Freshman Running Back, Marcus Hughes, took a handoff found the end zone on a 16-yard run, giving the Panthers a 12-0 lead. However, on the following kickoff, the Highlanders answered immediately as they took the kickoff to the end zone, putting the Highlanders on the board and cutting into the Panthers lead by the score of 12-6.

In the 4^th quarter, the Panthers defense showed up in a timely fashion as Freshman Defensive Back, Emiliano Ceron intercepted a Highlander pass to put an end to the Highlanders drive that was knocking on the door of the end zone. Following the pivotal turnover, Hughes would find the end zone one more time on a 51-yard touchdown. On the two-point conversion, Freshman Running Back, Wyatt Swanson, would punch it in on a 3-yard run, giving the Panthers a 20-6 lead.

The Highlanders would answer on a touchdown and successful two-point conversion of their own to cut the deficit to 20-14.  With two minutes left in the game, the Highlanders got one more opportunity to score, but the Panthers defensive line stopped the Highlanders on 4^th and 2, sealing the victory for the Panthers.

The Panthers will have another bye week coming up, and then begin TCAL play at Brady Park against the Kennedy High Eagles of Richmond on Saturday, October 8^th.

Varsity Football Shuts Out Arroyo; Improve to 3-0

September 10th, 2022--On a Saturday afternoon in San Lorenzo, California, the Saint Mary’s Panthers traveled to Arroyo High School and picked right where they left off from their 28-14 victory over Deer Valley last weekend. The Panthers rushing attack and stingy defense propelled them to a 35-0 victory over the Arroyo Dons. With the victory, the Panthers improved to 3-0 on the season, which is the best start in the program’s history since the 2014-2015 football season.

Senior Running Back and Middle Linebacker Kyle Goree made quite the impact for the Panthers on both sides of the ball. Goree had four total touchdowns on the day as he rushed for 3 of them and returned a kickoff for a touchdown to open the second half of the game. On defense, Goree also made over 10 tackles.

Like Goree, Senior Defensive Ends Austin Rogol and Michael Lewis Jr. combined for 5.5 half sacks on the day, constantly putting pressure on the quarterback and putting the Dons offense in tough situations all game long. Junior Free Safety Marley Filson also contributed on the defensive side of the ball as he made an interception to end the first half.

The Panthers will now head into the bye week and will have two weeks to prepare for their next game against the Piedmont Highlanders on Friday, September 23rd

JV Football Wins Defense Struggle; Outlast Arroyo 6-0

September 10th, 2022--A week after having their best offensive game in their early season, the JV football team found themselves in a defensive struggle against the Arroyo Dons. But with less than two minutes left in the 4^th quarter, the Panthers forced a fumble and then followed it up with a rushing 

touchdown by Freshman Running Back Marcus Hughes to put the Panthers up for good as they defeated the Dons 6-0. In addition to his game-winning rushing touchdown, Hughes was also superb on defense as he forced a fumble early in the 4^th quarter, putting a halt to the Dons’ drive.

The Panther’s defense was the story of the game as they displayed a stout rushing defense up front, and an aggressive pass defense as they did not allow a completion in the game. Sophomore Kian de Souza had a strong performance in his first game back to start his 2022-2023 campaign as he had numerous tackles for losses to halt the Dons rushing attack. De Souza also blocked a punt in the first half of the game to give the Panthers offense great field position.

The Panthers will head into the bye week with a 2-1 record and will have two weeks to prepare for their next game against the Piedmont High School on Friday, September 23rd.

JV and Varsity Football Shine in Home Opener

September 3rd, 2022—The JV Panthers were fantastic against the Deer Valley Wolverines Saturday afternoon. Their strong performance started with a touchdown on the opening drive, followed by a fumble recovery and that led to another touchdown to start the game with a 12-0 lead. However, the Wolverines had an immediate answer with an 80-yard touchdown to cut the leadto 12-6 in the first half.

On the Panthers next drive, on 4th and 16 from midfield, the Panthers executed a successful fake punt ona long pass on 4th and 16 pass completion, putting the Panthers in the red zone with a prime opportunity to extend their lead. A few plays later, the Panthers would finish the drive with a rushing touchdown and increase their lead to 21-6.

At the start of the second half, the Wolverines showed a sign of life as they opened the second half with a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 27-12. However, the Panthers answered immediately with an offensive touchdown on the next possession, and then followed that up with an interception for a touchdown to seal the victory for the Panthers, winning by the score of 42-12. The Panthers look to build off their impressive win next weekend when they take on the Arroyo High School Dons.

Varsity Football

In a game that featured a lot of defense in the Panthers season opening win against Middletown High School, the Panthers offense took center stage with a balanced rushing and passing attack on Saturday afternoon against the Deer Valley Wolverines.

Despite allowing the Wolverines to score the first touchdown of the game in the second quarter, The Panthers displayed an impressive response as they scored the next two touchdowns in the final three minutes of the first half, putting them in the lead by the score of 13-7. The Panthers followed up their strong finish to the first half with an impressive opening drive of the second half with a rushing touchdown by Senior Running Back Logan Tanisaki. Tanisaki would then get the following hand off on the two-point conversion to extend the lead to 21-7. The Wolverines scored one more time at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Panthers answered right away with a rushing touchdown by Junior Running Back Samadhi Scott, putting a stamp on the Panthers 28-14 victory.

Senior Quarterback Finn Hartney, who threw his first touchdown pass of the season to fellow Senior Wide Receiver Alejandro Tejeda-Gonzales, said after the game that it felt great having the support from the fans and the coaches. He complimented his teammate, Alejandro Tejeda-Gonzales, for a great game on offense and defense, but their focus now is to move forward with the goal of starting the season 3-0 in the next game when they take on the Arroyo High School Dons next Saturday.

Defense Vital in Season Opening Win

August 27th, 2022—In the first game of the John Trotman era at Saint Mary’s College High School, the Varsity Football Team made the long 3-hour drive to Middletown, California and came away with a season opening victory to kick off the 2022 campaign. The Panthers defeated the Middletown Mustangs for the second straight year by the score of 7-0 where defense was the story of the game Friday night.

The Panthers strong defensive performance consisted of a pair of sacks each by Senior Defensive Ends, Austin Rogol and Michael Lewis Jr., and over 10 tackles by Senior Middle Linebacker Kyle Goree, who also added a rushing touchdown to his impressive evening to kick off his Senior campaign. Goree’s rushing touchdown proved to be enough for the Panthers to secure the victory. However, even though Goree’s touchdown proved to be the game winner, it was the final defensive stop by the Panthers in their own red zone that secured the victory. The final defensive stop was highlighted by aforementioned Senior, Michael Lewis Jr., who came up with the sack on 4^th down to put a stamp on the season opening win.

The Panthers will return to Brady Park for their home opener on Saturday, September 3^rd, against Deer Valley High School (Antioch, CA) who they defeated in last year’s battle by the score of 20-8. The Panthers look to continue their consistent defensive play, while the offense looks to get in a fine rhythm.