GRIDIRON GLANCE ’24: Panther Creek Panthers

August 18, 2024 at 9:17 am Derrick Stuckly

VOSS – Seeking a second consecutive postseason berth last fall, the Panther Creek Panther came up just short in their bid. In 2024, the road to the playoffs will be much tougher after UIL realignment, as head coach Gary Beam will look to lead a relatively young roster into postseason contention.

“We’re going to be so young and very green, but we’re pretty excited because we came into this year thinking we were going to have six kids and that’s it,” said Beam, who led the Panthers to a 4-4 record in 2023. “We counted heads in the spring to see what was coming back and we only had 13 boys in the entire high school. We were a little nervous, we didn’t think we’d have a team, but I feel really good about all the kids we’ve got. I’m real proud of their work ethic. It’s going to be a learning year and a growing year, but at the same time it’s going to be enjoyable. We have kids that are going to work hard and it’s fun to be around those kinds of guys. We’re going to take baby steps, but we’re still working.”

The Panthers bring back just two offensive and three defensive starters, as players to watch include Nathan Steffy, Cason Ainsworth, Aidan Patterson, Malachi Bentley, Caleb Hale, and Caleb Story.

“Nathan is a new kid who played 11-man last year,” said Beam, who is 22-38 in his career and 7-11 at Panther Creek. “I’m pretty sure he’s a skill kid and will probably be in the backfield. Cason, I’ve had him since he was a sophomore and he’s played every position but quarterback. Malachi is a sophomore that played as a freshman and will probably have a lot of carries and be a featured back. Aidan Patterson is a sophomore, a center and defensive end with a lot of heart and was one of our bigger surprises last year. Caleb Hale played quarterback as a freshman and we put him in a bad spot, but he played two years in junior high so he knows the system. And Caleb Story is a freshman skill kid with not a lot of size, but a lot of heart.”

Panther Creek begins the season at Priddy followed by games against Mullin, Water Valley, Paint Creek and Blackwell.

The Panthers are picked to finish fourth in the revamped District 15-A Division II behind preseason No. 2 Richland Springs, Rochelle, and Brookesmith, and finished ahead of Lohn.

“Those first few games of the year are going to be crucial for us, probably more so than for other teams, because of our youth and the fact that we’re going to have freshmen thrown into the fire,” Beam said. “We have three kids that have football playing experience in the high school. It’s going to be a wake up call for them, but it will also give them some much needed experience, but it’s also going to be tough on them. Playing Water Valley and Blackwell is going to be tough on them, but not like playing a Rochelle or Richland Springs in district. Hopefully we’ll stay healthy and by district we’ll gel and then we’ll see where we’re at.”

PANTHER CREEK PANTHERS 2024 SCHEDULE

Aug. 30	at Priddy	7:30 pm.
Sept. 6	Mullin	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 13	at Water Valley	7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20	OPEN
Sept. 27	Paint Creek	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5	at Blackwell	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 11	at Lohn*	7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18	OPEN
Oct. 25	at Richland Springs*	7:30 p.m.
Nov. 1	Brookesmith*	7:30 p.m.
Nov. 8	Rochelle*	7:30 p.m.