Summer for Kings’ Football means competing, getting bigger, faster, and stronger. Last July and August 2023 arrived which meant school started, but mostly it meant football. The yearly rivalry when Lewis Cass faces the Panthers of Royal Center is the opening game for both teams and a traditional non-conference match up. In the 2023 game last year, according to MaxPreps after quarter one Cass was winning 6-0. However, the halftime score ended with Pioneer leading 8-6. The Kings briefly got the lead back by the end of the third quarter making it 14-8. However, the Panthers then went on to score 21 points to Cass’s 8 to win the game 29-22. As the season progressed last year, the Kings never lost a regular season home game. In fact, the Kings’ home performance averaged wins with over 30 points. Overall, the Kings finished the season with a record of six and four.

Seven months later, school was out for the summer which again brought summer weights and team competitions. The team traveled to Wing T camp in Anderson the last week of June. July football practices started, slow learning plays then speeding up to full contact. The first scrimmage took place at Wabash High School against four schools: Wabash, Blackford, Sheridan, and North Miami. Each school scrimmaged for a quarter each. At the end of July, the Kings next traveled to Taylor High School to scrimmage both Whiting and Taylor. Summer went fast and this Friday brings the last scrimmage against Logansport High School at Logan at 7:00.

Every practice matters, whether it is blocking or route changes, new defense, or conditioning. Friday, August 23 at 7:00 the Kings will open their season again against the Pioneer Panthers at Owens Memorial Field. Pioneer lost three senior running backs. Cass lost a quarterback, a running back, and two tight ends. The Kings filled those spots and surely the Panthers did too. It will be an exciting game and the Kings look to see if all the work and details during the summer paid off.

The Kings hope to avenge last year’s loss to Pioneer. This rivalry began in 2007 and the Panthers are leading the series 9-8. Coach Mannering said, “ I’m always a little jealous too, (of the game) because I never got a chance to play Pioneer as a player – that rivalry began a couple of years after I had graduated.” When asked about the Kings’/Panthers match up, Mannering said, “Overall I’m very excited for the Pioneer game. One thing that makes football special is that you’re only guaranteed ten games, so they’re all very meaningful. The Pioneer game is especially important because they’re a cross-county rival, and they’re a very good football team. We’ll know a lot more about ourselves after that game.”

The Kings have been working all summer and here is what Coach Mannering has to say, “I’m excited for the team to get a chance to show how hard we’ve been working this off-season. It’s always great when you get to hit another team after six or seven weeks of only hitting ourselves. I think we’ve got a good team with a lot of experience returning, and that excites me as well. Obviously, the big worry for everybody going into week 1 is the unknown. I think I have a pretty good idea of how good we will be, but at the end of the day, you never know for sure until you play a game that counts. Overall I think the Pioneer game will be a fun one that will set the tone for the rest of the season.” The Kings will open the 2024-25 season at Owen’s Memorial Stadium on August 23 at 7:00. Come out to support the Kings, and see them, “settle the score in ’24′”