Panthers prepare for 2018 season with spring football game
August 11, 2017 – Graduating senior Joey DeLuca readies himself under center during last fall’s pre-season game at Locust Grove. DeLuca is among 22 seniors the football team has to replace for the 2018 season. “Our quarterback is going to be the biggest question mark,” head football coach Chad Phillips said.
May 11, 2018
As the school year comes to an end, sports and extracurricular activities begin to wrap up their seasons. The Mill’s football team is already preparing for their upcoming season with its annual spring game.
Everyone is given a chance on the field, and the game is filmed so the team can watch it during the summer to evaluate and improve their skills.
— Staff Writer Amy Orr
With the new school year approaching, changes will naturally occur to the team with the loss of graduating seniors and the addition of new players. Questions arise as key seniors graduate, including quarterback Joey Deluca and running backs Cole Gilley and Nick Brown.
“It’s going to take some time to get over, but we have some good players that are going to replace them,” Phillips said.
The spring football game provides the coaches and team a vital opportunity to prepare for next season. The coaches evaluate the players and experiment with their positions, and eventually they decide who is ready to step up and become a starter.
In the spring game, the team is split up and plays against each other. Everyone is given a chance on the field, and the game is filmed so the team can watch it during the summer to evaluate and improve their skills.
“We’re going to challenge our players and coaches to make sure Starr’s Mill has a team that everyone can be proud of,” Phillips said.
Last fall, the Panthers played in the GHSA state playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, making it to the Elite 8. Despite being back-to-back Region 3-AAAAA champions, the Mill lost 59-10 to Rome High School. In spite of the loss, the team and coaches still remain positive. “We had a pretty good end to [last] season,” Phillips said. “It left a good taste in everybody’s mouth.”
The game will begin at 4:30 p.m. on May 18 in Panther Stadium.
