A Panama City couple is debuting a developmental football team.
The Panama City Panthers will give young athletes a chance to play and be seen by scouts for the pros.
Kim and Cassandra Faustin founded the team last December.
“They want to play. Their friends want to play," Cassandra said. "We have a roster of about 36 players in counting and we get phone calls every day."
The Panthers will join the Panhandle Crusaders and the Greater Pensacola Jets in the Amateur to Professional Developmental Football League (APDFL) along with 22 other teams from across the region.
The team will play 10 regular-season games and compete in a playoff tournament at the end of the season for the APDFL championship.
Kim, the co-owner of the Panthers, says her volunteer coaching staff works with athletes as young as 18. She's looking for a sold-out crowd every game to help grow the organization.
"A lot of talent is still sitting here in Bay County," said Kim. "We believe this team will increase their opportunity to get looked at by colleges and if nothing else, form a brotherhood."
The Panthers will play their inaugural game on Saturday, March 1, inside Arnold High School's Mike Gavlack Stadium in Panama City Beach.
The game kicks off at 7 p.m.