The Thonon Black Panthers advanced to CEFL Bowl XIX with a nail-biting 28-26 semifinal victory over the Carlstad Crusaders at Stade Joseph Moynat in Thonon-les-Bains, surviving a late rally and a gutsy defensive stand to clinch their championship berth in front of a raucous home crowd.
Black Panthers establish early command
The Black Panthers set the tone with a grinding 14-play opening drive, mixing misdirection runs and short passes to drain the clock. Running back Félix Durand capped the series with a 7-yard touchdown rush, exploiting a gap in the Crusaders’ defensive front. Quarterback José Tabora then extended the lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter, threading a 22-yard strike to Pierre-Yves Dayres on third-and-long—their third connection of the drive. The Crusaders’ offense sputtered early, managing just one first down in their first two possessions, while Thonon’s defense, led by linebacker Lucas Davoine (9 tackles, 1 TFL), stifled quarterback Slade Jarman’s progressions.
Crusaders rally with halftime heroics
Jarman ignited Carlstad’s comeback late in the second quarter, engineering a 10-play, 68-yard drive capped by his 4-yard rushing touchdown. A critical sack by defensive end Emil Olofsson forced Thonon to punt, and Jarman capitalized with a 45-yard bomb to Lukas Kullstrand, setting up Matteo Mozzanica’s 19-yard TD catch with 0:19 left in the half. Defensive back Rory Kelly compounded Thonon’s woes by intercepting Tabora’s Hail Mary attempt at the goal line, sending the teams into halftime tied 14-14.
Second-half seesaw battle tests defenses
The Black Panthers reclaimed momentum with a 16-play, 80-yard drive in the third quarter, chewing over eight minutes off the clock. Tabora (21/32, 284 yards, 3 TDs) leaned on receiver Liam Ward (6 catches, 88 yards) for key third-down conversions before hitting Amin Ibrahim on a slant route for a 14-yard score (21-14). The Crusaders answered early in the fourth, with Jarman (24/38, 301 yards, 3 TDs) finding Albin Forsman on a 22-yard corner route. A failed QB sneak on the 2-point attempt kept Thonon ahead 21-20.
Late-game drama defines classic finish
Tabora responded immediately, scrambling for 12 yards before launching a 30-yard touchdown to Benjamin Lolmede, who broke two tackles to reach the end zone (28-20). Jarman retaliated with a rapid 75-yard drive, connecting with Robin Juhlin on a 45-yard sprint down the sideline with 0:26 remaining (28-26). The Crusaders’ fate hinged on a 2-point conversion, but defensive tackle Marc-Antoine Dupuis stuffed Jarman’s rollout attempt at the 1-yard line. Thonon’s special teams sealed the win by recovering the onside kick, sparking jubilation among the home faithful.
Key performers
- José Tabora: 284 passing yards, 3 TDs; 2 clutch second-half scoring drives
- Slade Jarman: 301 passing yards, 3 TDs; 42 rushing yards, 1 TD
- Benjamin Lolmede: 4 receptions, 76 yards, game-sealing 30-yard TD
- Liam Ward: 6 receptions, 88 yards, critical third-down conversions
Road to CEFL Bowl XIX
The Thonon Black Panthers advance to face the Calanda Broncos, aiming to leverage their balanced offense and red-zone resilience. The Carlstad Crusaders, return to Swedish Superserien play with bolstered confidence,
The semifinal showcased Thonon’s poise under pressure, while Carlstad’s inability to convert critical 2-point attempts—a recurring theme this season—proved their undoing. With Tabora’s precision and a defense that bent but didn’t break, the Black Panthers now turn their focus to claiming their first CEFL title since 2018.
