Panther football battles through CIF
After defeating Ventura High School and Foothills High School in the fifth division of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section [CIF], the Panthers made it all the way to the first ever CIF semifinal against cross city rival, Thousand Oaks High School [TOHS].
The day leading up to the game was the calm before the storm at Panther Stadium. Athletes practiced each of their positions dutifully; the coach, Joe Smigiel, silently observed. “We’ve taken the mantra, it’s not about who we play, it’s about how we play,” Coach Smigiel said. After the previous Canyon League clash in September where NPHS reigned victorious over TOHS, it is now up to the Panthers to maintain their throne of Pigskin upon the Conejo Valley over the vengeful Lancers.
Across the city at TOHS, Lancer coach Ben McEnroe looks back at the previous loss against NPHS, “That [loss] was back in September; we’re both different teams from [then]. We’re obviously better football teams because we’re playing each other [at CIF],” McEnroe said.
Despite the presence of rain and being down for the second quarter and beginning of the third, in the end, the Panthers emerged victorious, scoring 22-19. The entirety of the NPHS side of the stadium jolted off their seats and rushed the field. The adrenaline rush was felt by everyone. Reflecting on the win, wide receiver, Beau Smigiel, sophomore, noted, “TO showed up, and we knew they weren’t ready, and we knew we had to come out in the second half,” Beau Smigiel said.
The Panthers returned to their campus a week later against the Orange Vista High School Coyotes, unfortunately facing a narrow defeat and therefore their title shot.
Shane Rosenthal, junior and wide receiver, recalled the game’s apparent legacy. “The [CIF] finals at home was just an amazing experience, one that I’ll remember for my whole life,” Rosenthal said. Throughout the season, Rosenthal captured a total of 12 interceptions, yet he said he could not take all of the credit. “I wouldn’t say it’s all on me. It’s definitely on my coaches and my teammates, just doing their job and setting me up for success,” Rosenthal said. The wide receiver was introspective of the season. “I don’t think a lot of people expected us to be in the championship, but I really think we exceeded expectations this year,” Rosenthal said.
Being his first year on varsity, Tyler Seedfelt, sophomore and left guard, noticed the increased pressure and stakes between JV and Varsity. “It was a lot different than JV and it was very stressful and still is. It’s just hard with so many more fans; [there is] more pressure on you to get things done,” he said. On the outcome of the game, Seedfelt elaborated, “It was a hard fought battle. The running back on the other team was really good. Our defense tried the best they could, but he was just really good,” Seedfelt said.
Nose Guard, Tasman Cassell, senior, commented on the speed and infamy of Orange Vista’s running back #11 Sire Gaines, senior. “He got three touchdowns across the whole field,” Cassell said. Cassell said this season definitely taught him a lot. “[I learned] how to operate on the team and accomplish a goal as a group,” Cassell said.
Reflecting on a well-fought season, coach Smigiel emphasized the team’s scrappiness and resilience through adversity. “They fought from scratch and came together. It didn’t matter if we were against the odds, and they just continued to fight together and fight as a team. They’ll never forget the run that we had,” coach Smigiel said.
