This game recap is brought to you by the fine people at Mullins Construction.
PARMA, OHIO – After a pair of losses that put the 2018 season for the Elyria Catholic Panthers season in question, Friday night they handled their business in all three phases, getting back to their winning ways with a dominating 63-14 win over the 1-5 Parma Redmen.
The victory puts the Panthers at 4-2 overall, 1-2 in Great Lakes Conference play.
It was a night in which everything went right for the Panthers, from a fumbled punt that Jack Griffin picked up and raced 55 yards with for a score, to back-to-back interception returns for scores by Leighton Banjoff and Griffin to put the Panthers ahead before half 56-7.
“Definitely feels great, we’ve had some bad weeks the last two weeks, and we did not handle adversity well,” Panthers coach Bryan Fox said after the win.
The Panthers played well in all three phases, with the offense piling up 310 yards, led by quarterback Cameron English, who was very good and efficient, hitting on 12-of-15 passes for 145 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
English helped the Panthers build a 28-0 lead with 2:23 still to play in the first quarter. The score that put them up by four touchdowns went to running back Malik Gaddy, who dove in the end zone to conclude an 11-yard score.
“We got out very quickly, we’re playing efficient football, I know we were completing passes at a high rate, and it was so exciting to see the energy level,” Fox said.
Gaddy had 42 yards on the ground for the Panthers, and Banjoff led the way for EC with 48 yards on 12 carries. Chris Jackson Jr. added a score for the Panthers to go along with 40 yards on just three carries.
After Joe Adams took a kick back 94 yards for Parma to make it a 34-7 Panthers lead, EC continued to put the pressure on, as they scored on a Jaret Frantz one-yard touchdown pass from English to make it 41-7.
The end of the half saw Parma quarterback Wy’Ness Jones throw two interceptions that went back for scores for Elyria Catholic, as they added 14 more before half to make it 56-7 at the break.
“I think we stuck with the game plan throughout, a very successful game plan, and we didn’t just reach for big plays and big stats,” Fox said.
“We played our hearts out for 48 full minutes.”
Jones for Parma went 8-for-17 for 127 yards with one score and three interceptions. He threw a pretty 91-yard score to Justin Flitcraft in the second half to give the Redmen fans something to cheer about.
The Panthers will have a huge home game next Friday as they will play host to Holy Name in a game that is always a good matchup between two rivals.
“We’ve talked a lot about wanting to become a more mature team,” Fox said. “A team that kind of handles the highs and lows better, and seeing those guys energy and never quit, that’s the hard thing, you get up and everyone thinks that every play will be a huge play, and we just stuck with it.”
Player of the Game:
Elyria Catholic Senior QB Cameron English
English got the Panthers off to a quick start, and led the Elyria Catholic offense to a big night, hitting on 12-of-15 passes for 145 yards, throwing for three scores in the win.
He got the Panthers going right away, as he hit David Griffin with a 20-yard touchdown pass on their first series, and then later in the first quarter threw a 5-yard score to Connor Trockley to make it 21-0.
English didn’t play much in the second half, but by then he had cemented his numbers and the blowout win for the Panthers.
Malik Gaddy 11 yard TD run and @ECPANTHERS goes up 28-0 over @ParmaHighSports w/ 2:23 to play 1st Q at Byers Field @NEOhsFootball @AM930WEOL @NEOSportsInside @FOX8FNTD pic.twitter.com/iOLYudX9eq
— Matt Loede (@MattLoede) September 28, 2018
Chris Jackson 26-yard TD run – @ECPANTHERS goes up 35-7 on @ParmaHighSports w/ 11:53 left first Q @NEOhsFootball @AM930WEOL @FOX8FNTD @NEOSportsInside pic.twitter.com/HhVRzllx9j
— Matt Loede (@MattLoede) September 28, 2018
English to Frantz 1 yard TD and @ECPANTHERS goes up 42-7 over @ParmaHighSports w/ 5:09 to play 2nd Q @NEOSportsInside @AM930WEOL @FOX8FNTD @NEOhsFootball pic.twitter.com/ais3lqUk4X
— Matt Loede (@MattLoede) September 28, 2018
Here’s a photo gallery from week six action between the Panthers and Redmen.
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