The Black Panthers of Thonon won the 28th Diamond Helmet after a thrilling match. They overthrew their bête noire to keep the title in Haute-Savoie.
Black Panthers of Thonon – Flash of La Courneuve: 37-33
The Diamond Helmet Stays in Thonon-les-Bains! The Black Panthers Team Raises Its 5e title, the second in a row, since the introduction of the “diamond helmet” in 1995.
The Thononais beat the Flash de la Courneuve in this 28th Diamond helmet at the Gilbert Brutus stadium in Perpignan. The match was resolutely offensive and open, coupled with a thrilling and dramatic scenario.
The black beast has (re)fallen
On each side of the field, the Courneuve Flash and the Thonon Black Panthers faced each other. The two teams know each other well, they have even been arch-enemies since the early 2000s.
The Flash sits at the top of the French championship charts with 12 titles since 1995. While the Haute-Savoie team is in 3e place with 4 titles. Since 2007, the two teams have met 6 times in the final. With a record of 5 wins for 1 defeat in favor of the Sequanos-Dionysiens, the psychological advantage was yellow and black.
In the more recent past, during the 2024 season, the two teams met twice. Once again, the advantage went to La Courneuve with 1 win and 1 draw. It was also the club that finished top of its conference ahead of… Thonon, once again.
The film of a fiery match
The match was offensive. The spectators present in the stadium and in front of their screens were able to witness a total of 70 points scored.
The game started with a quick turnover by Thonon quarterback K'hari Lane that turned into a significant drive for the Flash. After that, the two teams responded blow for blow, La Courneuve on the ground, Thonon by passing. Not a single punt was necessary. 7 touchdowns were scored for a score of 25-21 in favor of the Flash at halftime.
As soon as the locker room came back, the Black Panthers defense was more aggressive, in its calls, and individually. It partitioned the field, preventing receptions and allowing the attack to recover the ball in the best conditions. The Flash receivers also helped, their hands more feverish than usual released balls.
The one-sided third quarter ended with a score of 25-34. The Black Panthers added an additional field goal to aggravate the score and control the end of the game. The Flash offense gave its team a last hope by collecting points on the opponent's forced errors.
A final punt dropped by the La Courneuve returner extinguished this final flame. The special teams were the major failure of the yellow and blacks. Final score 37-33.
Man of the match: Pierre-Yves Dayres (WR)
The Black Panthers receiver had his most accomplished game of the season, at the best of times. Responsible for three receiving touchdowns, he had to work hard to blacken his stats sheet. The player performed on the most explosive, vertical plays. He carried his team with big gains and important points.
For his third season, Thonon's number 1 receiver won his second diamond helmet. But this season was very different, all about resilience. In difficulty with small physical problems, the nicknamed “Peyo” gained strength to thrive in the best moments, those that count like the semi-final and the final.
Photo: Black Panthers Thonon social networks
