Bucs Down Panthers 7-0 In Battle Of Defenses

By Colin A.J. Murphy

In a hard-fought showdown of neighborhood rivals, the 12U Pasadena Bucaneers defeated Panthers Athletic Club 7-0 at Loopers Field on September 17, improving to 2-0 on the young season and dropping the Panthers to an unfortunate 0-2. The grind-it-out win was well-earned by the Bucs, who scored a touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff and were able to hold the fort behind an outstanding defensive performance. The Panthers, for their part, showed tremendous grit and playmaking in keeping the game close before ultimately falling short. After the game, the two teams’ coaches praised the total effort and solid play delivered by both sides in the contest.

“It’s always a good, physical game, and it’s always close,” said Buccaneers Head Coach Tim Garvey. “The kids all know each other, and it’s just a lot of fun to be a part of.”

Panthers Head Coach Jay Wright was proud of his team’s performance against a physical Bucs team. “[The Buccaneers are] a tough team over there, their defense and offense are sound. But our defense played well and our offense put some good drives together…We knew this would be a tough one, and I thought we played very well.”

What ultimately turned out to be the game-winning score occurred just seconds into the contest, as the Bucs’ speedy Shawn Anderson turned an initially bobbled catch of the opening kick into a 70-yard sprint down the right sideline and into the end zone.

“I dropped the ball on the 30,” said Anderson with a chuckle, before adding with a smile, “That was my first kick return. So it was a lot of fun.”

After the Buccaneers’ opening score, the Panthers offense spent the rest of the game playing catch-up, and they had good success moving the chains. At the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second, the Panthers put together several runs and pass completions to secure a first and goal from the Bucs 3-yard line. With the Panthers knocking on the door, the Bucs’ defense came up huge, defending two passes and tackling Panther runners for losses twice to take over possession on downs.

“We’ve had four goal-line stands now in two games,” said Garvey of his staunch defense. “They’ve had their backs up against the wall, and the mental toughness they’ve shown, I’m just very impressed.”

The mental toughness was certainly needed in the final moments of the game, after the Panthers had again driven the length of the field to get within 10 yard of the end zone. But as they had done all game, the Buccaneers’ defense made the big play when it mattered most, sacking the Panthers’ quarterback and defending three passes to secure the victory as time expired. “They showed a lot of heart and kept their composure,” said Garvey of his defense’s ability to make key plays at critical moments.

While the Panthers were naturally disappointed with the loss, Wright still had plenty of positive takeaways from the game. “Both sides played well, and I’m proud of my team…But keeping it close like we did lets us know where we are, and it’s something to build on. Now we just have to prepare for our next game and try and get into that win column.”

To view a photo gallery of this game, visit our sports photo galleries at www.pasadenavoice.com/in-focus.