Gameday Takeaways, Week 1

In the season opener for Panther football, they traveled to East Coweta to face off against the Indians. Starr’s Mill showed up to play, but came up short in a 21-20 loss. Here are three takeaways from that telling game.

1. Offense proved themselves

All offseason long, there were various questions being asked about the offense due to the losses of the skill players from the previous year, including Hunter Lawson, and the one-two punch that was Kalen Sims and Ben Bodne. A lot of work has been done to reconstruct the offense. Last Thursday, Panther Nation got its answer — the offense can play well, even if they are still somewhat raw.

Sophomore quarterback Will Yarbrough made his name known in his first start of the season. His greatest contribution was in the passing games with six completions for 127 yards and two touchdowns. This could indicate that his passing abilities could be implemented in this newly constructed offense.

“I think that this game was a very big learning opportunity for me,” Yarbrough said. “Starting out, I messed up on a few things and now, as I’m playing the game, it helps me understand what I’m supposed to do.”

The running game was still as stout as ever in this game, but a new face led the charge this week. In his first ever start, senior Devin Barnett made his presence known with 11 carries for 128 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Even with the new flair, the offense still kept with the tried and true tradition of maintaining the majority of possession time.

This new offense was not without its problems, however. The offense lost three fumbles, two of those coming from Yarbrough. Despite reaching the doorstep of victory in overtime, their final play was indication that they still have some things to adjust to.

2. Defense has not skipped a beat

Consisting of stars such as seniors Wes Haney and Duke commit Cole Bishop as well as junior Marc Stampley and Barrett Schmidlkofer, there was no real cause for concern with the Panther defense. Their presence against East Coweta looked as large as ever. The Indians converted only 30% of third downs, were limited in drive length to an average of 1:57, and remained scoreless for three quarters of play.

What makes these numbers interesting is the sheer size difference between schools. You have Starr’s Mill, one of the smallest schools in 5A with numbers on par with 4A, bolstering a defense that could rival East Coweta, one of the largest populated schools in the state of Georgia. It’s impressive that this defense can hold down a school with a much larger player pool than their own.

Their performance was not extremely flashy. Rather, their performance was definitively substance over style. Keeping that offense in check so that their numbers are not too far from the numbers of the new Panther offensive is impressive. The defense clearly demonstrated why they are meant to be feared, and laid out an indicative blueprint on where to go from here.

3. Gutsy final play reaction speaks volumes about the team’s soul

Last year in the state playoff quarterfinals, the Panthers went for a dangerous two-point conversion that worked and punched their ticket to the state semifinals. This season, in a similar situation, a two-point conversion did not work out, and they lost the game because of it. Head coach Chad Phillips explained that his decision came from the fact that the team was out of gas. He wanted to make the gamble instead of trudging the already exhausted offense back on the field.

What this decision shows is that the offense still does need to iron out a few of the kinks. In that instance, the team did in fact have the right play call. However, the heavy blitz led Yarbrough to rush and chuck the ball, which was immediately batted down. For the Panthers, it was on to the next game after the whistle blew.

“Monday morning at 7 a.m., we’re back at it getting ready for game two,” Phillips said. “We’ll watch film, the coaches will grade it, evaluate it, and we’ll make corrections. We’ll show the boys the film, we’ll get on the field and fix the things that need to be fixed, and we’ll be better next week.”

It is the attitude of determination that the coaches are laying down for the team that changes the context of this decision. It is not about coming down on this decision. For the Panthers, it is about the grind, taking all chances to improve despite the way the game ended. This attitude is what makes Starr’s Mill stand out as a program. Not only is this why they were able to compete so ferociously, but how they continue to reinvent themselves year after year.

What to look for next week

We are seeing sneak peeks of what this team can do. Looking at the roster, the promise of valor is there. An all-star defense plus an offensive line tough as bricks accompanied by an ever-expanding offense and a stout special teams core equals a recipe for more success later down the line.

Success in this team has been proven to come from how they learn after every loss. This week people should be looking at how the team has fixed their flaws against Mt. Zion, a team they defeated handily last season.This game should prove to be an indicator of how this team intends to improve.

Week two’s game will take place this Friday at Panther Stadium against Mt. Zion. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.