Panthers Gear Up for Football Season with Fundraiser

The Panthers football program hosted its fourth annual Bunco Night Fundraiser Friday night at the to kick off a promising upcoming season.

Each year, the event has made more than $3,000 for the program.

"It started with about eighty people and has grown each year," event founder Kym Lengyel said.

Lengyl's son Kyle, a former Panther, currently attends the Air Force Academy on a football scholarship.

And Bunco, Lengyl said, is a game that gets parents and other players engaged.

The Panthers are hoping the fundraiser will help lead the team into a successful season, prefaced by a July victory in the L.A. Valley Passing League Tournament, beating the football powerhouse Dorsey High School in the championship.

“The team had a great summer and I’m really looking forward to starting the season,” Panthers head coach Roddy Layton said.

Heading into this season, the Panthers have mostly a mix of sophomores and seniors, who Layton said are excelling on the field and in the classroom.

“Diamond Ranch football has a great athletic program, but Coach really encourages the players to be scholar athletes,” said Cynthia Bryan, mother of sophomore running back William Bryan, who held a 4.6 GPA last year.

Another Panther standout is senior offensive and defensive player Andrew Fischer who received First Team All-League Honors while earning an impressive 4.8 GPA.

The Panthers went 5-6 overall last year and kick off their season on the road against Chino High school Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m.