The Western Panthers 8th Grade A team traveled to Coldwater last night to tip off their 2026 season and came away with an impressive victory over the Cardinals. Coldwater scored the initial basket of the season, but the Panthers responded quickly when Izayah Austin drained a long range three-pointer that gave the Panthers a lead they would never give up. The opening minutes of the game were tightly contested as both teams struggled to find a groove. With Western holding a slim 6-4 lead, Kaiden Brown and Jaelon Delatorre each made a 3-pointer during an 8-0 run for the Panthers that saw them take control of the game and finish the first quarter leading 16-6. The second quarter featured even more defensive intensity for the Panthers. Zack Niemi was a much needed spark, scoring 5 of the teams 9 points in the second quarter. All told, the Panthers forced 12 first half turnovers by Coldwater and were able to convert those 12 turnovers into 12 points. Coming out of the half, the goal for Western was to win the first 4 minutes of the half and put the game away. Austin and Brown came out firing, combining to score the first10 points of the quarter. Each knocked down a three-pointer and contributed 5 points each during the run. Rory McKnight scored the next 4 points. This was a run that saw the Panthers score the first 14 points of the quarter and extend their lead to 39-15 by the end of it. Giu Tinervia drained a three-pointer from the top of the key to kick off the scoring in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals made a final push in the fourth, using a full-court pressure that gave Western a bit of a fit. Over a roughly two minute stretch, Coldwater went on a 12-5 scoring run the saw the Panthers commit 6 turnovers. Once Western settled down and regained their composure, they were able to recover and handle the pressure and coast to a comfortable 57-30 victory. This was an impressive team victory for Western as they showed great ball movement and unselfish play, finishing with 15 assists on their 23 made field goals. Max Adams and Brown each dished out four assists to lead the team. Kyler Remynse led the Panthers with 7 rebounds and Blake Casler was solid at both ends of the floor and was to pull down 5 of his own rebounds. Kaiden Brown was the star of the night, stuffing the stat sheet with 20 points to go along with his 4 assists while also leading the Panthers with 6 steals and 3 blocks, leading the Panthers in each category. The Panthers look to build on an impressive first victory tomorrow night when they travel to Pennfield to take on the Panthers.