Our CFHS Varsity Football team went 7-3 in the regular season, led by an outstanding defense and high-powered offense. The offense was led by speedy quarterback Ethan Hamilton and the offensive line headlined by big Phillip Mclean. The defense is headlined by cornerback Jamari Davis and D-Lineman Errol Ximenes Jr.
Ximenes shared, “ The 2023 Panthers are the dream team. All of us are dedicated and hardworking. Our hearts and characters are way bigger just for ourselves but for the whole community around us.”
Quarterback Coach Shane Dular has been a coach for CF for ten years.
“Our team generally cares about each other and plays hard. They are very selfless. Strength and conditioning are the foundation of what we do. The playoffs were great. Every moment of the week is important because there are no tomorrows. You either succeed or you are done; it is the reason we work so hard. ”
The football team is one of the top eight teams in the state as we played Summerville High School in the third round. They worked so hard and long for this success since May. We played Summerville in our first official game of the season, and we lost 33-26 with a last minute interception returned for a touchdown.
We started out this season at West Brunswick High School for a pre-season battle; the game was fast and intense, never letting it slip away. We won the game 49-20. Then we went on to have a three game homestand; it was the three hardest games of the season. We played Oceanside Academy but lost on the last play of the game because of a last second touchdown by Oceanside. Then we played South Florence for the last game at home; we led going into halftime and played to the best of our abilities, but we lost 30-22. We started the away stand with a win against Strafford 38-21, and we never looked back after starting the season 1-3. By Homecoming we were 4-3. We never pressed off the gas and won the next three, finishing the season 7-3. We were the number one seed going into the playoffs, winning Regions! We started off the playoffs against region foe Saint James; we steamrolled them 42-14. Then we played the West Ashley Wildcats. They were a big challenge for this CF team as we sneaked by and won 28-21. As we beat West Ashley, we knew what the next matchup would be: undefeated Summerville for the second time this year. They knew this was going to be a challenge, but the team tried their hearts out as they lost 35-63.
I want to congratulate the 2023 Carolina football team on their amazing season. We will bounce back next year and try to win the State Championship. I also want to wish seniors in all their future endeavors; once a Panther, always a Panther.
