GAME OF THE WEEK?! YOU MUST BE MAD!!

“Look at the schedule—there’s no way this could be the Game of the Week!”
That was my exact reaction when I first heard the news. The Corozal Cerros Suns vs. the PG Panthers? This Friday? Down south in Punta Gorda at the Auditorium? You must be mad!

Just last week, I told the BPBL Marketing Director those exact words. I mean, have you seen this Friday night lineup?

At first glance, this matchup didn’t even seem like the best game in its own division—let alone the Game of the Week! Over in the same conference, you’ve got the San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs. the Dangriga Dream Ballers—a clash of the two best teams. With Griga’s new acquisition “The Hammer” suiting up inside the Russell Chiste Auditorium, there’s a real chance the Sharks could get silenced by the rhythm of the drums and take their first L of the season. Winning in Griga? Tough. Trust me—I know.

Then there’s the Battle of the Cities: Capital City Kings vs. Belize City Thunderbolts. That’s a season-defining match for both squads. One team will take a step closer to the Jaguar Cup; the other will need to figure out how to keep fans in the seat until the play-in tournament. The stakes? Couldn’t be higher.

And don’t sleep on Sunday’s action either—Sharks vs. Kings in a back-end-of-a-double-weekend showdown. Fatigue becomes real. Coaches have little prep time. Players are running on fumes. This could be a sneaky steal for the Kings if the Sharks doze off in the Jungle.

So yeah—I thought the Suns vs. Panthers couldn’t possibly be that game.

But here I am now…walking back every word.

Because down there in the Jungle, what seems written in stone today can turn to dry leaves tomorrow. And what I thought was just another matchup is now shaping up to be the one with the biggest implications.

Let me explain.

These teams will face off twice—Friday and Saturday night. And it’s not just because the Marketing Director told me it’s Game of the Week. It’s not even because the Suns completely changed the narrative last week by edging out the Thunderbolts in a home thriller, tripling their fan base, and even prompting a petition to the Minister of Sports for a bigger auditorium immediately.

No—this is the matchup because if you lose both games this weekend, you might as well book your seats for the playoffs—as a spectator. This is the kind of weekend that determines whether you’re battling in the play-in tournament…or watching on TNC League Pass from your couch.

The Suns are scorching. They’re bringing serious heat to PG, fueled by their new import Jamaal Clifton, a familiar face in Belize’s top leagues. Last we saw him? Helping the Tiger Sharks in the Finals. This week? Dropping 17 points and 12 rebounds, pairing up with veteran sniper Greg “Chippy” Rudon, who lit up the score board with 22 points, including three clutch triples in the second half.

Coach Rupert Brown had that team locked in. They outworked and outcoached Thunder in that one especially in the third quarter and held their own in the 4^th edging out the heart of the number 1 point guard in the land Glency Coope Lopez.

And what about the Panthers?

You might scoff at their opening-night 50-point loss to those same Thunderbolts, but context matters. That Thunder lineup was completely different—no Victor Evans, no Eyan Rene, no TJ Hall, and not a single foreign import. Different lineup. Different Team. Zero conference implications.

Just like the Thunder, the Panthers are now a new-look team.

They lost Guzman to a season-ending injury (get well soon, brother), but have reloaded with some serious weapons:

• Gabriel Sorenson – aka The Great White Hope, nicknamed after White Men Can’t Jump, but this man can shoot the lights out from downtown.
• Marquis Cunningham – two-time champion forward from the Hurricanes and one of the most coveted offseason pickups.
• Lindsey Young – a hungry young baller looking to prove he deserves minutes.
• Vince Young Jr. – Coach Brads Neal’s favorite, known for his clutch performances with the OW Running Rebels in their first playoff run.
• Alex Ariola & Kelvin Cumberbatch Jr. – fearless young Griga standouts waived by the Dream Ballers, already showing flashes of promise.

And did I mention? They’re at home. First two home games. New energy. New roster. New fire.

So can the Panthers extinguish the blazing Suns? Can they bring that same energy Corozal just unleashed up north to their own fans and flip the script?

Stay tuned.

Because this is the BPBL Jungle—and around here, even an injured panther can eat your playoff hopes alive.