CJ Johnson
john23cr@dukes.jmu.edu
Paradise, Florida – In a town like Paradise, you would only expect great things, and the Pink Panthers sure capitalized on the first home game of the season. The Paradise Pink Panthers leaped to a fantastic start to the year, beating the Columbus Commanders, 106.08 – 96.18.
Josh Allen led all scoring, throwing for 232 yards and 2 TDs, while also running for 39 yards and 2 TDs as well, amassing a whopping 31.18 points! He became only the second person in NFL history to do so at least 4 times. The Pink Panthers are sure to depend on Josh for squeezing out late-week victories for the foreseeable future.
A few surprise players included kicker Blake Grupe, who made 5 PATs, as well as tacking on 4 field goals, amassing 21 points. In addition, RB Tony Pollard had a fantastic game, rushing for 82 yards and 1 TD, and also gaining 12 yards passing, for a total of 18.40 points.
A few places of improvement for the Pink Panthers include both of their starting WRs, Chris Olave and Tank Dell. The two receivers combined for just 13 points, a dangerously low total that could cost the Pink Panthers crucial games in the future. TE Travis Kelce also had a quieter game, with only 34 yards for a total of 6.4 points.
Looking forward to next week, the Paradise Pink Panthers are looking for more overall production from their depth players, as they head into Chattanooga to take on a talented Chimpanzees team. The Pink Panthers are looking to improve to 2-0 on the season, while the Chimpanzees are looking to rebound from a heartbreaking loss to the Alaskan Bulldogs.