While the dream of a Central Ontario championship slipped away from the PECI Sr. Boys Rugby team on Wednesday, the Panthers will get an opportunity to prowl at the province’s highest stage.

The Panthers, on the strength of a tremendous final 15 minutes of play against Lindsay’s IE Weldon, pushed past the Wildcats 15-10 in the COSSA Semi Finals to set the stage against Thomas A. Stewart.

8 Man Andrew Cumpsty. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)

An OFSAA champion in 2021 and an All Ontario qualifier a season ago, PECI finally met its match in the COSSA Finals.

“We played hard against a veteran squad that’s had success at the provincial level,” PECI coach Doug Holt told the Gazette. “We struggled to keep the ball early but when we had the ball consistently in the last part of the second half, we pushed back hard.”

The Panthers almost broke up a shutout bid late in the match as Hayden Blakely broke over the line — only to have the scoring attempt called back due to a knock-on.

While PECI lost 26-0, the team was able to find out what it takes compete against one of the elite rugby programs in the province.

PECI got off to a slow start in the semis and took a 0-0 deadlock into the halftime break. Early in the second, the Wildcats would break the ice with a try and added a convert to lead 7-0.

But the Cats responded with three straight tries from Draeden Hymus, Andrew Cumpsty and Keagan Zantingh over the final 15 minutes to take a 15-7 lead.

The Wildcats would successfully send a boot from the field through the uprights to close the gap but the Panthers were able to hang on to the win.

Despite the COSSA finals loss, PECI picked up an at large bid to play in the AAA OFSAA Tourney in Arva near London June 8-10.

In Jr. Boys play, the Panthers hosted a spring tournament at PECI on Thursday, picking up a pair of wins before bowing out to the Napanee District Secondary School Golden Hawks.

In the opener, Griffin Lavender, Kieran Craig, Cam Billing and Alex Lavender along with kicks from Kaden Koutrildes and Connor Borton saw the Panthers blank the Bayside Red Devils 24-0.

Facing a tough Trenton High School Tigers team, the Panthers were able to stave off THS in a 15-12 win.

Reed Martin and Billing found the end zone and the game was clinched thanks to a timely Alex Lavender run on the last play of the contest.

In the finals, Borton had a pair of tries while Billing added another but it wasn’t enough as the Golden Hawks bested the hosts 35-15.

“Overall, it was a great day for a program well attended by spectators and highly engaging for the school,” said Mr. Holt.

The PECI Jr. Girls team and a PECI Grade 9 boys team will play in the Barbarian Cup in Belleville on Sunday, June 11.