The high school football season came to an end Friday for the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers.
The Panthers lost a close 9-7 decision to the South Delta Sun Devils at Minoru Park in Richmond, and were eliminated from the Senior AAA provincial playoffs in the quarterfinal round.
“This was a tough loss as we played well enough to win,” said Panthers head coach Kurt Thornton. “Our kids played tough in tough conditions, but in the end we needed a big play or two on offence that never seemed to happen.”
South Delta led 9-0 at half-time, and Lord Tweedsmuir responded with a seven-yard touchdown from from Caleb Abraham in the third quarter.
Abraham finished with 121 yards rushing on 21 carries, while Colton Zayshley had 101 yards on 13 carries. Both players led the defence with seven tackles, with Abraham adding a quarterback sack and Zayshley intercepting one pass.
The Panthers went 5-2 (won-loss) in league play, and opened the playoffs with a 35-20 win over the Belmont Bulldogs. They were unable to play in the preseason due to a teachers strike.
“I am proud of the season our boys put together,” Thornton said. “It was tough for our Grade 12s to go out in such a close, winnable game.”