Pope John Paul II cruises past Kutztown

CONSHOHOCKEN >> Pope John Paul II came out firing on Friday night, cruising past Kutztown 51-0 in the season opener. The Golden Panthers scored early — and they scored often.

Quarterback Kamal Gray started the party by capping off a six-play, 53-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run on the Golden Panther’s first possession of the game.

After a three-and-out by Kutztown, the Golden Panthers only took two plays to find the end zone again. This time it was Gray hitting Justin Mitala on a 20-yard deep fly pattern. Mitala tumbled into the end zone, and the Golden Panthers took a commanding lead.

In fact, the Golden Panthers raced to a 20-0 league over their non-conference opponent in the first quarter, and they didn’t look back.

Gray had a perfect evening, completing seven of seven passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback also rushed for 31 yards and added a touchdown on the ground.

Just to show off, perhaps, Gray also launched a beautiful 47-yard punt in the second half that pinned Kutztown inside their own five-yard line.

The junior was all smiles after the game.

“Honestly, I think we can do better,” Gray said. “Our opponent next week is a lot harder, but I think we’ll be ready.”

The Golden Panthers racked up 303 yards of total offense and 15 first downs. They were simply on fire, and they led 48-0 at halftime.

The team’s second-string got valuable reps in the second half.

Still, Golden Panthers head coach Rory Graver, like his quarterback, sees room for improvement.

“I think we did a lot of good things tonight,” Graver said, “but our goal is to get better every day. We’re going to watch the film and make some adjustments.”

AJ Natale, a senior running back, was another standout star for the Golden Panthers. Natale punched in two rushing touchdowns and grinded out 38 rushing yards on 10 carries.

Natale was one of 10 Golden Panthers to gain yardage on the ground, as the team racked up 184 rushing yards on 25 carries.

The Golden Panthers’ defense was stout, as well, allowing just nine total offensive yards, causing two turnovers, and picking up three sacks.

Meanwhile, first-year Kutztown head coach Joseph Moyer saw positives in his team’s performance, despite the tough loss. The Cougars struggled against a tough Golden Panthers team, but Moyer and the Kutztown squad remained upbeat after the game.

“Even going against a great team like this, there were positives,” Moyer said. “Our kids are just thinking too much right now. It’s their third new offense in three years, the third new defense in three years, and right now their heads are spinning.”

Kutztown will look to bounce back next week when they face Upper Perkiomen on the road. Moyer knows there’s a long road ahead, but he’s unfazed by it.

“The biggest positive out of tonight is that we weren’t pointing fingers at each other,” Moyer said.

The Golden Panthers look to extend their winning ways next week when they face New Hope-Solebury on the road.