bag-o-chips
08-29-2013, 04:26 AM
Posted: Thursday, August 29, 2013 12:00 am
Scot Kibbe | 0 comments
GERONIMO — When the Navarro Panthers host the Antonian Apaches on Friday night, they will try to do something they did not accomplish in 2012 — get their season off on the right foot.
The Panthers seemed to have two left feet as they stumbled for most of a 35-21 loss to the Apaches last season. They committed three turnovers, several costly penalties on offense and gave up big plays defensively, leading to a 35-0 deficit in the third quarter before a late rally tightened the final score.
Still, it was Navarro’s most lopsided loss in a season opener since 1997 and just the third time it did not start the season with a win since 2000.
The Panthers recovered nicely from the setback, winning 10 of their next 11 games and reaching the third round of the playoffs. But Antonian head coach Van Fuschak expects it to still be on Navarro’s minds when the players take the field on Friday.
“I think last year will be a big factor in their motivation,” he said. “But that was a game where we got some points given to us. Without the turnovers, it is a completely different game.”
Navarro head coach Les Goad said the result of that game was partly the strength of Antonian and partly his own team’s performance.
“They were a very talented, well-coached team with a lot of seniors and they started the year 9-0,” he said. “We helped them out by not playing our best game and not protecting the football.
“I would like to see us come out this year and make better decisions and get going early.”
The Apaches will bring a young team into Erwin-Lee Field for this season’s contest. Gone is standout running back Sterling Holmes, who scored three touchdowns against the Panthers last year. Fuschak says they only return one offensive lineman and four starters on defense.
Among those returning, however, is third year starting quarterback Chad Tatum, who threw 10 touchdown passes last season. Goad says he is a good athlete with quick feet and he expects Antonian to rely on him more this year both as a passer and as a runner.
Fuschak says having a senior quarterback means they may pass a little more but will still remain a run-heavy offense.
“Instead of passing eight times a game like last year, maybe we’ll throw 10 times,” he said.
The Apaches’ offense runs out of the shotgun and the I-formation.
Defensively, Antonian lines up in a split formation. Goad noted that while graduation hit the unit hard, the Apaches do return one key player in defensive lineman James Murphey.
“He gave us fits last year,” Goad said. “We’re going to have to account for him on every play.”
Goad said he hopes his team’s preseason scrimmages against Austin St. Michael’s and Devine will help make Navarro ready for this game.
“The two main elements in football are speed and physicality,” he said. “St. Michael’s had a lot of speed and Devine had a lot of physicality. Antonian, as they showed us last year, is both fast and physical so I’m glad we’ve seen both of those elements.”
Fuschak sees a big task ahead for his team to notch another win over Navarro.
“This is not the team I want to face on the first rattle out of the box with all our new linemen,” he said. “They play hard and very physical. I kept up with their stats last year after we played them and it seems like they run for 500 yards every game. And we only see their kind of offense (the Slot-T) one time a year.
“But our kids will be up for the challenge. We just can’t afford turnovers and will have to make them earn what they get.”
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
PANTHER NOTES: This will be the first game at Erwin-Lee Field since artificial turf replaced natural grass at the stadium. The team did scrimmage St. Michael’s on the new surface two weeks ago. New lights were also erected during the offseason.
The honors keep rolling in for Panther safety Jay Leal. The San Antonio Express-News named him to their Preseason All-Area team. He was the only representative of a sub-4A school on that list. Leal has also been named to Texas Football’s Preseason 3A All-State team. He was named second team all-state last year.
The varsity roster for Navarro will include six sophomores and three freshmen. Last year’s squad was made up of only juniors and seniors and no freshman had previously made varsity since Goad took over at the school in 2007.
Goad is 52-19 in six years at Navarro. With six more wins, he will have the most wins by a coach in school history
Scot Kibbe | 0 comments
GERONIMO — When the Navarro Panthers host the Antonian Apaches on Friday night, they will try to do something they did not accomplish in 2012 — get their season off on the right foot.
The Panthers seemed to have two left feet as they stumbled for most of a 35-21 loss to the Apaches last season. They committed three turnovers, several costly penalties on offense and gave up big plays defensively, leading to a 35-0 deficit in the third quarter before a late rally tightened the final score.
Still, it was Navarro’s most lopsided loss in a season opener since 1997 and just the third time it did not start the season with a win since 2000.
The Panthers recovered nicely from the setback, winning 10 of their next 11 games and reaching the third round of the playoffs. But Antonian head coach Van Fuschak expects it to still be on Navarro’s minds when the players take the field on Friday.
“I think last year will be a big factor in their motivation,” he said. “But that was a game where we got some points given to us. Without the turnovers, it is a completely different game.”
Navarro head coach Les Goad said the result of that game was partly the strength of Antonian and partly his own team’s performance.
“They were a very talented, well-coached team with a lot of seniors and they started the year 9-0,” he said. “We helped them out by not playing our best game and not protecting the football.
“I would like to see us come out this year and make better decisions and get going early.”
The Apaches will bring a young team into Erwin-Lee Field for this season’s contest. Gone is standout running back Sterling Holmes, who scored three touchdowns against the Panthers last year. Fuschak says they only return one offensive lineman and four starters on defense.
Among those returning, however, is third year starting quarterback Chad Tatum, who threw 10 touchdown passes last season. Goad says he is a good athlete with quick feet and he expects Antonian to rely on him more this year both as a passer and as a runner.
Fuschak says having a senior quarterback means they may pass a little more but will still remain a run-heavy offense.
“Instead of passing eight times a game like last year, maybe we’ll throw 10 times,” he said.
The Apaches’ offense runs out of the shotgun and the I-formation.
Defensively, Antonian lines up in a split formation. Goad noted that while graduation hit the unit hard, the Apaches do return one key player in defensive lineman James Murphey.
“He gave us fits last year,” Goad said. “We’re going to have to account for him on every play.”
Goad said he hopes his team’s preseason scrimmages against Austin St. Michael’s and Devine will help make Navarro ready for this game.
“The two main elements in football are speed and physicality,” he said. “St. Michael’s had a lot of speed and Devine had a lot of physicality. Antonian, as they showed us last year, is both fast and physical so I’m glad we’ve seen both of those elements.”
Fuschak sees a big task ahead for his team to notch another win over Navarro.
“This is not the team I want to face on the first rattle out of the box with all our new linemen,” he said. “They play hard and very physical. I kept up with their stats last year after we played them and it seems like they run for 500 yards every game. And we only see their kind of offense (the Slot-T) one time a year.
“But our kids will be up for the challenge. We just can’t afford turnovers and will have to make them earn what they get.”
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
PANTHER NOTES: This will be the first game at Erwin-Lee Field since artificial turf replaced natural grass at the stadium. The team did scrimmage St. Michael’s on the new surface two weeks ago. New lights were also erected during the offseason.
The honors keep rolling in for Panther safety Jay Leal. The San Antonio Express-News named him to their Preseason All-Area team. He was the only representative of a sub-4A school on that list. Leal has also been named to Texas Football’s Preseason 3A All-State team. He was named second team all-state last year.
The varsity roster for Navarro will include six sophomores and three freshmen. Last year’s squad was made up of only juniors and seniors and no freshman had previously made varsity since Goad took over at the school in 2007.
Goad is 52-19 in six years at Navarro. With six more wins, he will have the most wins by a coach in school history