**ARTICLE BY JOSH LONGSTRETH**
Comstock Park Cruises in Week Two Win Over Holland
The start of the 2023 season wouldn’t be favorable to the Panthers of Comstock Park. But the Panthers weren’t about to suffer that same fate this week. Enter the Holland Dutch who couldn’t seem to find their way in the opening week. Comstock Park wasn’t about to let them gain any momentum this week when they were welcomed in for the Holland home opener.
Comstock Park would strike first in this one in a hurry. The Panthers would jump on top on a Donavan Cummings 5-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0. Holland would bounce back, though. The Dutch would put together a long 11-play drive to cap off a score that found Amari Powell hitting Aden Chanthavang from 7-yards away. This would make it a 7-6 Panthers lead.
Early in the second quarter Easton Hood would make his way from 20-yards out to put Comstock Park on the board again. This one had a chance to get even more interesting but the Panther defense would stand tall when Cummings came up with a big goal-line interception to give the ball back to Comstock Park. Hood would find the endzone again later in the quarter as the Panthers capped off a 98-yard drive. The Dutch would get right back in the game just before the half as Tailen Luna hauled in a 4-yard pass from Powell as Holland had life. That wouldn’t last long. With just seconds remaining in the quarter Cummings would hit Spencer Dokle on a 8-yard touchdown pass. The Panthers would take all the momentum right back as they would head into the half with a 27-12 lead.
This is a Dutch team that just wouldn’t give in, however. They would grab the first score of the half midway through the third quarter when Powell would take one in on his own from 5-yards out. Holland cut the score to 27-18 to that point. Comstock Park would get in a flow late in the quarter when Cummings found another man, this time hitting Zach Borek from 37-yards to give the Panthers a 34-18 lead heading into the final quarter.
The Comstock Park offense would start to wear on the Dutch defense in the fourth. The Panthers would get another big boost from Hood as he would carry it in from 81-yards out to grab his third touchdown on the night. This would all but seal the deal to put the Panthers up 40-18. Holland would take on another score late on a 7-yard pass from Powell to Luna but it just wouldn’t be enough. Comstock Park impresses in week two, 40-24.
Holland did a solid job of hanging around and battling throughout much of the game but couldn’t seem to turn the tide. They’ll look to see if they can grab their first win of the season next week when they head to Muskegon to take on the Big Red. Muskegon starts the season at 0-2 after a loss to Warren De La Salle.
Comstock Park really had their offense going again this week. They’ll try and take the momentum into week three when they welcome in Wyoming Kelloggsville for the Panthers home opener. The Rockets have had a tough go of things by starting the season being outscored 75-15.
