The Park View Panthers are heading back to the provincial Division 2 football championship after defeating Central Kings 8-0 in the semifinals over the weekend.
The Bridgewater high school team is now one win away from defending its provincial title.
Park View got off to an early lead thanks to a 16-yard touchdown run from Cyrus Smith in the first quarter.
Both defences took over from there, with the Panthers carrying a narrow 6-0 advantage into halftime.
The score remained unchanged for much of the second half as Central Kings struggled to break through Park View’s defence.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Panthers forced the Gators to concede a safety, extending their lead to 8-0.
Central Kings attempted to mount a late comeback, but Park View’s defence held firm to secure the shutout victory.
The Panthers entered the playoffs as the third seed and opened their postseason with a convincing 44-11 win over Horton in the quarterfinals.
The team also has another reason to celebrate, with Park View’s Owen Risser being named the Most Valuable Player in Division 2 football.
The Panthers will now face the winner of Monday’s semifinal between top-seeded Lockview and J.L. Ilsley.
The provincial championship is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at 4:30 p.m. at Saint Mary’s University’s Huskies Stadium in Halifax.
Park View is looking for its second consecutive provincial title after defeating Horton 28-24 in last year’s final.
Junior varsity girls win provincial soccer championship
Park View’s girls’ junior varsity soccer team captured a provincial championship Saturday, October 31, defeating Lockview 4-1 in the final on their home field.
The victory capped off a successful season for the Panthers, who claimed the provincial title in front of their home supporters.
Division 1 girls qualify for provincial soccer championships
Park View’s Division 1 girls’ soccer team has also secured a spot at the provincial championships.
The Panthers defeated visiting Cobequid Educational Centre 3-0 on October 29 to earn their place in the tournament.
Katelyn McDow, Addalay Veinotte and Paityn Gates each scored in the qualifying victory.
The Division 1 provincial championships will take place November 6 and 7 in Antigonish.
