VSS Panthers team and coaches (submitted image)

By Kevin Rothwell

next stop: BC Place

VSS Panthers trounce Titans for Interior football supremacy

Nov 18, 2023 | 3:00 PM

If there were any lingering doubts about who rules the football landscape in the Interior, the Vernon Panthers put them to rest with a resounding 54-14 victory over the South Kamloops Titans.

The Panthers showcased their dominance from the opening play, leaving no room for debate as they cruised to a convincing win on Friday night at the Greater Vernon Athletics Park in Coldstream.

The home-town team wasted no time making a statement with quarterback Cole Budgen connecting with Tristan McKenzie on a 39-yard touchdown pass on their first offensive play from scrimmage.

From there, the Panthers maintained their offensive onslaught, scoring on every possession in the first half and headed into halftime with a commanding 41-0 lead.

Head coach Sean Smith praised Budgen’s exceptional performance.

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“Cole had his best game as a Panther tonight. He made the right reads and was on fire in the short, intermediate, and long game,” Smith said.

Budgen’s efficiency was evident as he completed 17 of 20 passes for 342 yards and five touchdown passes.

The Panthers’ offense operated like a well-oiled machine, involving multiple players in both the passing and running game. Six different players caught the ball, four different players contributed to the rushing attack, and six different players found the end zone.

Liam Greenan made a notable impact in his first rushing appearance of the season, leading the Cats with 50 yards on seven carries.

Anderson Bicknell emerged as a key target for Budgen, finishing with six catches for 124 yards, including two impressive touchdown receptions of 43 and 54 yards.

Defensively, the Panthers were equally formidable, stifling the Titans’ offense throughout the game. The Titans struggled to reach the red zone until the fourth quarter when the game was already out of reach. Coach Smith commended defensive coordinator Connor Rothwell for an excellent game plan.

“This was definitely the most complete game for our defense and Connor had them in the right spots and flying around all game,” Smith stated.

Bicknell also showcased his defensive prowess, leading the Panther attack with four tackles, while Aiden Engleman contributed 2.5 tackles. Austin Dunnill and Aiden Stringer added interceptions.

Despite the victory, Coach Smith identified areas for improvement, highlighting concerns with the kick-off coverage team and extra-point execution.

Addressing these issues will be crucial as the Panthers advance to the Provincial Semi-Finals at BC Place Stadium, where they will face either the Nechako Vikings (Vanderhoof) or Westsyde Whundas (Kamloops) on November 25 at 11 a.m.

“I’m really proud of how my boys executed our game plan tonight,” Coach Smith remarked. “Rothwell and Angus Reid (run game coordinator) had great game plans, and they were able to execute them to almost perfection. However, the road only gets tougher each week we advance.”

The games will be streamed live with commentary.