49°
CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y. The fourth-seeded Walter Panas High School football team will face top-seeded and undefeated Brewster High School in the first round of the Section 1 Class A playoffs on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The Panthers are riding a wave of momentum after a dramatic 23-22 overtime win against rival Lakeland High School last week. Panas has not been in the playoffs in recent years but has enjoyed a new level of success this season.
Panas lost just one league game, a 13-7 defeat to Tappan Zee High School in week five. Somers High School then drubbed the Panthers, 41-14, the following week in a non-league matchup. But the Panthers showed toughness and fought back against Lakeland and should be feeling good headed into the playoffs.
Despite Brewsters undefeated record, Panas has every chance to win this game. The Bears defeated just one playoff team this year in a 20-0 win against Saunders High School in week four.
Brewster has allowed just shy of 14 points per game this season and shut out the lone playoff team on their schedule, so the key to this game will be if that defense can maintain that level of play.
Panas landed in the easier half of the Class A bracket. The Panthers would not have to face Somers, Poughkeepsie or Harrison high schools until the sectional finals.
But before that, the Panthers will have to get past a relatively untested yet undoubtedly tough Brewster team.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.
