NEWFANE — Newfane has high expectations. Higher expectations than the program is accustomed to.
Perfection.
The Panthers came one step closer to achieving that goal and a perfect regular season after a 58-8 win over Allegany-Limestone/Hinsdale, Friday at Newfane High School’s Panther Field. Newfane is currently averaging 41 points per game and has outscored opponents by 153 points.
Despite the lopsided win, Newfane senior quarterback Mac Capen knew there were things to work on. The signal caller was critical of his team’s start as they continue to try to improve offensively.
Before this season, Newfane dropped down from the Class C to the Class D, one year after winning a share of their Class C North regular season title. The move came with the school’s BEDS number sitting at 263.
“We knew that Class D was no joke — real tough, tough football players down there and schools and coaches,” Newfane head coach Chuck Nagel said. “We knew it was going to be long road trips and that’s how we prepared all off-season for it. … We’re going to (be) seeing six different teams this year that we haven’t seen before. So there’s a lot of uncertainty but we watched a lot of game film on these guys.”
The win improves Newfane’s record to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in Class D play, their second 6-0 start in three seasons. But the 2023 team finished the season 6-3.
Nagel said the 2023 team brought life back to the program and kids started to believe the program could win again. As a direct result, there was an increase in kids that came out for the 2024 football team.
Under their 12th-year head coach, the team has not gotten past the first round of the sectional tournament in four attempts, including back-to-back losses to Portville the last two seasons. Nagel said after the loss it is all he and his coaches were thinking about for the next few months until this season started.
But Newfane also won a sectional game since Nagel played in 1993.
“We’ve got to gameplan better,” Capen said. “We’ve got to stay focused the whole week. We’ve got to watch film. We’ve got to know what we’re doing and we just gotta be ready. That’s the big thing, be ready.”
Friday’s win over Allegany-Limestone/Hinsdale marked the highest point total of the season. But with a high-powered offense, the Panthers have won every game by double-digits — the closest contest being 19 points — and they have scored over 30 points in every game this season.
The offense is led by Capen, who surpassed 1,000 yards rushing with 200 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries in the first half after entering the game with 861 yards and 14 touchdowns.
After going 6 of 12 for 83 yards and a pair of scores, Capen now has 779 yards and nine touchdowns through the air and has a trio of talented receivers. Nasir Spencer, Isaiah Gerstung and Jake Morello all have over 10 catches, 150 yards and two touchdowns this season.
This season also appears to be the culmination of a turnaround for the Panthers program. Over the last three seasons, the Panthers have seen the team go through an incredible turnaround from a 2-4 season in 2022 to the aforementioned 6-0 overall record this year.
“We have a great youth program in Newfane, so a lot of these kids grow up playing football together which is huge,” Nagel said. “… Newfane football, forever was in the cellar. So I think they just needed a coaching staff to believe in this program and the kids in the town and stick with it.”