PLAYOFF-BOUND NOUVEL DEFEATS CLARKSTON EVEREST COLLEGIATE: The Nouvel Catholic Central varsity football team defeated Clarkston Everest Collegiate 34-17 on the road Friday. The Panthers fought back after falling behind 14-0 in the first two minutes of the game as Everest Collegiate returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, followed by a pick-six on Nouvel's first pass of the night. Thereafter, the Panther defense smothered the Mountaineers, holding them to three points for the remainder of the game, while the offense kicked into high gear, compiling 466 total yards. Owen Vance (pictured) led the Panthers on offense and defense, exploding for 280 yards on 30 carries and four touchdowns rushing. His tally included five runs of more than 20 yards in muddy conditions. Vance also paced the defense with seven tackles. Quarterback Ian Ziegelmann bolstered the ground attack with 106 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. The Panthers rushed for a total of 392 yards. On defense, John Carlson recorded six tackles while Sean Foley and Parker Kingsbury added 4.5 and 4, respectively. Kingsbury continued to contribute with his leg, going a perfect 4-4 on PATs. With the win, the Panthers close out the regular season with a sterling 7-2 record, assuring the squad a place in the MHSAA playoffs. At the time of this post, they are 14th in MHSAA Division 8 Playoff Points (33.4). The top 32 teams in the division move on to the postseason. The district playoff matchups will be annouced on the Selection Sunday program at 5:00 PM. The event can be viewed for free on the NFHS website https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/mhsaa-mi/evtddee977bb8 District play begins on Halloween night. Stay tuned here for details. Let’s Go Panthers! (mk)