The Stone Memorial Panthers remained undefeated last week when they rolled to a 40-0 football victory over Cumberland County in the 2025 version of the battle for King of the Mountain at CCHS.
After a slow start from both teams, the Panthers started to click, scoring three times in the first quarter and three in the second period to cruise to the easy win.
“Kids made plays and we did execute at a pretty decent level,” said Stone Memorial Coach Derik Samber. “We weren’t without mistakes and things that we’re going to have to clean up after watching film. We executed well, and our players made plays. They’re good athletes, good kids and they did a good job.”
The victory pushes Stone Memorial to 3-0 on the year, while Cumberland County falls 0-3. The Panthers host Upperman on Friday at 7 p.m., while the Jets are set to visit Kingston. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.
“We had a lot of penalties early,” said Samber. “We had a play we were trying to set up for a senior who had put in a lot of time for us. So, we were trying to get him a touchdown. We wanted to reward him.
“So, that kind of got us out of rhythm, and we had some penalties involved with it. We ended up not scoring, and that’s disappointing.”
Stone Memorial finally got on the board with 4:39 to go in the first period. Quarterback Noah Potter found Kadyn Page for a 36-yard touchdown pass. Potter kicked the extra point to make it 7-0.
After the Panthers recovered a CCHS fumble, Stone went on a 35-yard scoring drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by AJ Vandever. Potter’s kick made it 14-0 with 3:08 on the clock. After picking up another Jet fumble on the ensuing possession, this time Vandever ran it in from five yards out to cap a 76-yard scoring drive.
The kick was no good, but with 2:23 to go in the first half, the Panthers led 20-0. This time Vandever scored on a 5-yard touchdown run.
“It bit us in the butt on that first drive, but we obviously responded and it didn’t affect the outcome of the game,” Samber said. “ I think the game plan was sound.”
“I don’t think we handled the emotion of the game very well,” said Cumberland County Coach Noah Repasky. “We played hard, and we didn’t hang our heads. We didn’t block anyone up front. You can’t play well on offense if you don’t block.”
After holding the Jets on their next possession, Stone Memorial got the ball back in Cumberland County territory. This time Potter went to the air and found Hunter Haney for a 10-yard touchdown pass. The PAT kick was good and the Panthers led 27-0 with 11:53 to go in the second period.
Stone Memorial scored two more times before the break for intermission. Potter found Carson McCoy for a 13-yard scoring strike to cap a 61-yard drive. Potter’s kick made it 34-0 with 8:35 on the clock.
The Panthers’ final score came with 4:54 until halftime. Potter connected with Page again for a one-yard touchdown toss. Potter’s kick failed, and the two teams left the field with the Panthers leading 40-0.
“Stone paced us and we struggled getting lined up correctly and with some of the responsibilities in the secondary,” Repasky said. “That is why the no-huddle offense is so difficult to handle.”
Samber said he was impressed with how Potter, Page and Haney have been working together this season.
“All three of those kids are very in tune with each other,” Samber said. “We take pride in how we execute the passing game and what we do there. Those three kids that are really close on a personal level, too. There’s a lot of good there.”
“There’s a personal connection there,” Samber said. “It’s pretty fun to watch all those guys, all the receiver guys. Carson McCoy had another couple big catches and a touchdown last night. Kyle Hinch was targeted a few times. He’s not been as involved maybe as we had hoped after a big preseason, but I’m sure his time is coming as well.”
Neither team scored in the second half of the game.
“Liam Stephens and Isaiah McMillan were the two kids we were concerned about last night,” Samber said. “We game-planned for them and for the most part executed the game plan in terms of bottling them up.
“They are two really good athletes and players that can hurt you if they get loose. We did a good job not allowing them to get loose for the most part, at least with our starting defense out there. The first downs were kept to a minimum.”
Friday’s game with Upperman has a special meaning for Stone Memorial. If the Panthers beat the Bees, it will be the program’s 100th career win.