The Panthers saw Josh Keyes scamper in for two touchdown runs in the first half while Niles added another, but despite the three scores, the offense was not as potent as normal until Niles’s huge run. On the other side, the Panthers curtailed the rushing efforts of Corinth’s star tailback C. J. Saunders but struggled in stopping the pass as Tyler Nicholson hooked up with Jordon Charbonneau for two touchdown scores in the first half.
With the spark from Niles’s run, the Panther offense came out of halftime with something to prove. With the ball on their own 30-yard line, Keyes rumbled all the way down to Corinth’s 39 on the first play of the half. On the next play, the Panthers added a touchdown just 30 seconds into the half as Keyes busted out a terrific run to the end zone. After some great defensive pressure, the Panthers got the ball right back and again struck on the first play of a drive. Niles connected with Brian Gauthier over the middle for another score and a 42-14 lead.
The offense just kept coming for Chatham as they got the ball back and were grinding out yards on the ground before Niles hooked up with David Coon for a touchdown with under five minutes left in the quarter. The Panthers got the ball back yet again after a Gauthier interception, and on the first play Jimmy Dorato rumbled to the one-yard line. On the next play, Dorato pounded it home.
The fourth quarter saw three scores, two of which were by the Panthers as Coon ran in a big touchdown and Alex Mishkin added one of his own before Corinth scored on a pass with time winding down.
Niles accounted for four scores for the Panthers, two each on the ground and in the air while rushing for 170 yards. Keyes added three touchdowns and 155 yards on the ground, while Coon added two scores, one in the air and one on the ground.
With the win, Chatham improves to 8-0, setting up a rematch against Watervliet whom they defeated by 8 in their first game of the year. Since that win, Chatham has just continued to roll while ‘Vliet has remained solid. Despite their continued dominance, the Panthers are still being overlooked as many consider the Cannoneers to be the team that has the best shot at pulling an upset and winning a sectional title in all of Section II. The Chatham offense has only improved since their opening game, and defensively they can stop the run. If all goes right, the Panthers should be looking toward a Super Bowl appearance in a few weeks.
CHATHAM OFFENSE ANNOUNCED
PANTHER DEFENSE MAKES A STOP
BRIAN GAUTHIER DOWN TO THE TWO
PARKER NILES RUNS IT IN
