By Allen Hamrick
This past Saturday, the 2024 Panther football team hosted Liberty High School in an all out scrimmage. Both teams brought a bucket full of guts, grit and attitude to the gridiron for some much needed physical pounding. Tense nerves and emotion filled the air as the teams warmed up and the Mountaineers came in to show the Panthers what they were made of. There were big hits on both sides of the coin.
The Panther defense was all over the field, and it looks like they will put up some good defense this season on the line and backfield. Only time will tell, though. The Panther defense hasn’t lost their taste for pigskin it appears, and when the games start, it will be dinner time. Offense looked a little shaky on the start but got some of the bugs out.
Noah Collins will be back at the helm after a banner season last year, and it looks like his arm still has the powder. The running game will be interesting to see who gets the handoffs this season. The Panthers have some good runners with the ability to get the ball down the field and do so fast. The line was a bit underweight in comparison, with the exception of a couple players, but it made no difference most of the time. The speed of the Panther line gave them the ability to get into the backfield on a lot of the plays. The whole Panther team played very well, and the season is looking bright. As playing time went on, the Panthers only got better.
There were a few mishaps, but all in all, it was a good look at what they needed to work on before the season opener with Midland Trail on August 30, game time 7:30 PM. The Panthers will mix it up again with Shady Spring on their turf this Friday night at 5:30 PM. It is a new year and a new attitude, and the Panthers are geared up and will be in top condition come game day. So paint those faces and drop some tail gates; it’s time once again for Panther Football.
