26/03/2026
We were lucky enough to roll out an extremely talented U17 team. While over half the team had not played at Nationals before, seven of them had represented New Zealand last year, so the team boasted plenty of experience and ability.
Right out of the blocks on day one, the team flexed their muscle. The offence was led by QB Cooper Cowles who threw 32 touchdowns, compared to just 2 interceptions, over the course of the weekend. 12 of those touchdowns were caught by Toby Park who was a handful for any opposing DB.
On defence, the boys were just as impressive, allowing only two teams to score a touchdown against them. Defensive captain Matt Sellers showed plenty of versatility, making sacks, snagging picks and generally putting in an impressive all-around performance.
The final pitted the Panthers against tough rivals Metro Lions Juniors, who Canterbury had narrowly beaten the day before. The Lions had an impressive lineup, featuring six New Zealand reps themselves. The game was an absolute barnburner, with the lead changing hands a number of times and so many key moments that could have turned the game either way. In the end, it all came down to one play. On fourth down, with less than 30 seconds remaining and down by one point on the scoreboard, the Panthers launched one final jump ball into the front of the endzone, where that man Toby Park, went up and came down with it for the winning score. The Canterbury sideline lost it's minds and our U17's were National Champs. Nerves shot, bodies spent, but worth every single minute.
