If having a new coaching staff meant the Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley football team was supposed to get out of the gates slowly and lose in week one, someone did not let the Panthers know that. K-P/RV opened their season with a 13-8 win on the road at Alta-Aurelia under new co-head coaches Travis Neumann, Taylor Doeschot, and Brandon Borkowski.
One of those coaches, Coach Neumann, says it was a great feeling to see that all the work that went into installing new schemes worked right away.
After stalling out on their first drive of the season, the Panthers got pinned back up against their own end zone on their second drive. Thankfully, Kevin Wright plays for K-P/RV. The senior went streaking up the left sideline, and Landon Howe found him in stride for a 97-yard touchdown to get the scoring going. Coach Neumann says it is a blessing to have a guy with that speed on his team.
The Panther defense stood on its head all night holding Alta-Aurelia to average just three yards per carry on the ground and only eight points on the scoreboard. The feat was more impressive considering the Panther defense was thrown for a loop. Coach Neumann says the guys adapted well to a totally different Warrior offense than they were expecting.
Following a 1-0 start, district football gets going right away for the Panthers. K-P/RV dives into the deep end to open their district schedule taking on ninth-ranked Logan-Magnolia in Logan. Coach Neumann knows the opposing Panthers have size, and they use it well. He says his guys are going to need to dig deep and find a way to match that physicality to give themselves a good chance.
Kingsley-Pierson/River Valley’s matchup with Logan-Magnolia will kickoff at 7:00 PM on Friday, September 6.
