As an independent team in 1998 based out of Salem, the Panthers organization surprised everyone at the Northwest Football League jamboree with an overtime upset of the Vikings.  Fullback Andre Harris led a rushing attack that gained 69 yards on 13 carries and would have won the game in regulation had the kicker made the trip.  The Vikings shanked a 19-yard FG attempt in overtime giving the Panthers the chance to win the game which they did on a QB option from one-yard out.  The Chiefs shut out the Panthers in game 2 of the preseason tournament.

During the regular season, the Panthers played only 3 games defeating the last-place team of the NWFL by 3 points in a 1-2 effort.  The Panthers may have fared better in the Oregon Football League to get the franchise on stable ground, but opted to jump right into the fire with northern neighbor Oregon Thunderbolts firmly established as a regional and national contender drawing the majority of the talent.
 
1999 turned into one of the worst offensive performances in Northwest history.  Oregon avoiding being shut out in all 9 games they played by scoring 6 points in their season opener.  They wouldn't score another point.  The brightest point of the season was the forfeit victory over the Eastside Chiefs who folded up early in the year.
 
The losing continued in 2000 with an 0-10 campaign but scoring became a little more commonplace.  Arguably the MVP of the season was the Panthers place-kicker who kept the shutouts at bay in at least 2 games.
 
2001 opened with a disappointing loss to the Cavaliers but led to the biggest surprise of the NWFL season; a Panther 2-game winning streak.  The Panthers found some playmakers and battled to four victories and came close to the King County Jaguars in a 4-point loss.  With five teams in the Portland/Vancouver area, the Panthers may have found a shot at playing even with the rest of the NWFL had talent not been spread so thin.
 
Even-ball is what the Panthers achieved in 2002 playing to a 5-5 record starting an impressive 3-0 campaign that showed promise of an explosive offense with the addition of eventual NWFL Offensive MVP Ty Williams at running back who came over from the Columbia Cougars along with a number of other former Cougars.
 
After an impressive showing by Panther standards, 2003 should have been the next step to a playoff run, but 2004 looked more like 2000 as the team was a non-factor in any game it played losing all nine by double digits.  Many of those players who had come over after the collapse of the Cougars opted to play for other Portland-area teams.
 
2004 would be the Panthers final season and they would be part of NWFL history showing the discrepancy between the top teams and bottom teams.  Sitting at 0-2 on the season, the Panthers would win their first game since July of 2002 and two weeks later, won again, defeating the Cavaliers for the second time in three years.  But sandwiched between those victories was a 99-0 beat down by eventual NWFL champion Eastside and a few weeks later West Sound would pummel the Panthers 64-0.

The Panthers would shut down after posting a 12-48 record over six full seasons of play.  The Salem-area would get another shot at a team in 2006 when the Salem Monarchs kicked off.  That franchise would be different as it would play in the Oregon Football League and begin a dynasty in 2008 winning three consecutive league titles before winning a fourth when the Oregon League would merge with the Washington teams in the Pacific Football League finishing 11-0 and defeating Seattle for the 2012 Greater Northwest Regional Title.

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