[Panther Thunder]

This will be a huge year in terms of player development. If the JV and Freshman teams can get a solid schedule and the young guys can get brief experience on Fridays while maintaining a 7-3 record going into the playoffs, the regular season would be a success, IMO. 9-1 or 8-2 would be phenomenal. 6-4 or 5-5 would be less than desired. Playoffs, it is Regional Title or bust in 2013. 2012 it was a solid accomplishment getting there. 2013 must be a win, and it will likely be on the road.

Defensively, the Panthers will return 10/11, and for a while it would have been 11/11 until Burke broke through onto the field. Gage Morrison's (JR) and Wyatt Branham's (SO) play at DT last season was pretty solid. They will have to be more consistent this season, but it is a good base. DE will be interesting and there will be a lot of options including some young guys that could back up there. Larry David Keene (JR) was playing very well at DE after he returned from his leg injury, before going down to a cheap shot in the Fairview game. Caleb Campoy (JR) came on at the end of the year and will benefit from another year in the weight room.

Linebackers improved 100% over the season as basically half were freshmen, important off-season for that group to continue to build strength. Austin Black should return healthy for the first time since about week 5. Daric Pugh (FR), the team's second leading tackler grew up a lot over the season, he and AJ Vanderbeck (FR) (needs to stay healthy) just needs to be more consistent because they both can play. Isaac Lucas (FR) was probably the most improved out of the group and will hopefully pick up some size and speed heading into his sophomore campaign. Ben Maynard (SO) will be Ben Maynard, very versatile and can play all over the field.

In the secondary, Cody Estep (SO) may be the best safety in EKY, his instincts are second to none and his speed across and up the field making him a threat in the run game as well. His biggest issue is lack of size, but he does not care to lay the wood. Estep finished the year with 5 Ints, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 forced fumbles, 4 defensive TDs totaling over 300 of defensive returns. This was with a move to safety late in the year. The corner spot commanded by Chase Hall (JR) should be in good hands, with him getting a breather by a young guy when needed in Kasey Tackett (FR) or a freshman probably. The other side, Cody Charles (FR) turned in several nice plays including 3 Ints, just needs to be more consistent.


Offensively, the Panthers return 8/11. The biggest lost will be Jake Burke, who was a solid TE/WR. The other two spots will not be devastating losses. Nathan Gutierrez and Conner Pack both played solid, but did a good job being role players, which every team needs.

Quarterback will obviously still be the place the Panthers must secure, but with Maynard (SO) and Austin "Squeak" Charles (SO) getting a lot of reps, it should look a lot better a lot earlier than what it took this season. And AJ Vanderbeck also could get some reps that he lost due to injury last year. Just need someone to separate themselves and take over that position with authority.

Running Back is fine for another year with Chase Hall (JR) returning, rushing for close to 1,500 yards this past season and dealing with lingering injuries. Hope to see a healthy Chase Hall in 2013. Austin Black (JR) will play back there some in two-back sets. He is about as hard of a runner as you will find and does not go down easily. Black is also a threat out of the backfield to catch a pass. Daric Pugh (FR) looked very solid when back there against Shelby Valley when Hall left in the 2nd Qtr. He is deceivingly faster than you think and is another that does not shy away from contact.

On the Edge at WR you will have one of the best, if not the best, in Class A in Cody Estep (SO). Just a play maker that can take any given play to the house. Austin Black is a solid option with sure hands and a great field awareness. From there, expect to see a lot of younger guys like Vanderbeck, Cody Charles, Kasey Tackett, Clay Slone, etc.. get their shots with hopefully a couple kids coming out that did not play last season.

O-line should be solid. Won't go into great detail, but they return a lot with a lot of different options.

*All grades listed are 2012 grades.