Champions Sun - Sports
Panthers make progress in ‘08
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| The Cy Springs High Panther mascot shows some excitement during the Panthers' 56-28 loss to Cy Ridge last Friday at Ken Pridgeon Stadium. Cy Springs has doubled its win total from last season and enters its season finale with a 4-4 record and a chance to make the playoffs. |
By Michael Sudhalter
When Cy Springs football coach Roland Gonzalez first stepped into the Panthers’ weight room, he noticed one thing.
The walls were empty. No signs, slogans or words of encouragement for a program that’s qualified for one postseason (2003) since it opened in 1997.
Gonzalez, the Panthers’ first year coach who arrived after five seasons at W.B. Ray High in Corpus Christi, decided it was time to fill the weight room – the launching pad for the Panthers’ turnaround – with motivational signs like “Dedication: The will to win is important – but the will to prepare is vital”, “Consistency: Do what has to be done when it has to be done…Do it that way all the time” and many more.
“There was a blank slate and that was a good thing for us,” Gonzalez said. “We were able to put up the things that we felt were important. This program is a work in progress, and we’ve taken strides in the right direction, but we’re not there yet.”
While signs like these are commonplace from the prep scene to the professional ranks, it was important for Gonzalez to put his mark on the program.
The most important words are the ones painted on to the weight room, representing the cornerstones of the program -- Respect, Discipline, Commitment and Work Ethic.
The Panthers (4-4, 3-3) are in the midst of a playoff hunt in an ultra-competitive Class 5A-District 15. Cy Springs, Cy Woods (5-2, 4-2), Cy Falls (3-5, 3-4) and Langham Creek (3-5, 3-4) are all competing for the two remaining playoff spots. Cy Creek and Cy Ridge have already clinched postseason bids.
Cy Springs must defeat district-leader Cy Creek (6-1, 6-0) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ken Pridgeon Stadium in order to have a chance at qualify for the postseason.
The team has had to adjust to a new quarterback in junior Hunter Arter and the transition from a run-based offense with last season’s 2-8 squad to a spread offense, and finally, a 4-3 base defense to a 3-3 scheme.
“We wanted to change things and be the team that changes the program,” Arter said. “It’s a lot different, spreading out the ball and letting our fast guys get out on the outside and move around.”
“The coaches are making us a lot more dedicated than we were last year. Now, it’s more focusing and not as much playing around, just business.”
Last season’s quarterback, senior wide receiver Darius Wilson, said everybody is playing their role. He enjoys helping Arter, a first-year varsity starter, who earned the starting quarterback spot this season.
“At first, I felt that I had the experience to carry the team, but now I see the type of offense we have and the more athletes we have spread on the field, it’s harder for the defense to contain us,” Wilson said. “We come out here and practice every day. We’ve come together more as a team.”
Gonzalez said there’s been improvement but also inconsistency. Case in point: the Panthers scored 37 points in a two-point victory over Langham Creek a week after the offense was shut out in a 48-14 loss to Cy Woods.
Last Friday, the defense struggled in a 56-28 loss to defending district champion Cy Ridge, falling behind 35-7 at halftime.
“We had hoped at the beginning of the year that we’d have the opportunity to fight for a playoff spot, and fortunately, we’re there,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes we play really, really well, and sometimes, we don’t play. It’s going to take time, but the good thing is we’re making strides in the right direction.”
Unfortunately, success isn’t always measured simply by improvement.
It’s tracked by the bottom line, in this case, whether the Panthers reach the postseason or not.
“The goal that the kids set was to make the playoffs, anything short of that would be disappointing to us,” Gonzalez said.
Before the season, the team set a goal of reaching the playoffs. They’ve done 11 push-ups after each practice to symbolize the number of games they’d play if they reach the postseason.
Hurricane Ike cancelled one of their non-district games, meaning that the Panthers will only have nine regular season games this fall.
Perhaps, the Panthers should think of 11 in a new light – nine regular season games and at least one playoff victory would equal the 11 games they sought to play back in August.
“People actually think we have a chance,” Wilson said. “Not that it matters, because the only thing that matters is what our players and coaches think, but now we are starting to see more people are behind us.”
>pq1<“We were able to put up the things that we felt were important. This program is a work in progress, and we’ve taken strides in the right direction, but we’re not there yet.”
>pq2
The walls were empty. No signs, slogans or words of encouragement for a program that’s qualified for one postseason (2003) since it opened in 1997.
Gonzalez, the Panthers’ first year coach who arrived after five seasons at W.B. Ray High in Corpus Christi, decided it was time to fill the weight room – the launching pad for the Panthers’ turnaround – with motivational signs like “Dedication: The will to win is important – but the will to prepare is vital”, “Consistency: Do what has to be done when it has to be done…Do it that way all the time” and many more.
“There was a blank slate and that was a good thing for us,” Gonzalez said. “We were able to put up the things that we felt were important. This program is a work in progress, and we’ve taken strides in the right direction, but we’re not there yet.”
While signs like these are commonplace from the prep scene to the professional ranks, it was important for Gonzalez to put his mark on the program.
The most important words are the ones painted on to the weight room, representing the cornerstones of the program -- Respect, Discipline, Commitment and Work Ethic.
The Panthers (4-4, 3-3) are in the midst of a playoff hunt in an ultra-competitive Class 5A-District 15. Cy Springs, Cy Woods (5-2, 4-2), Cy Falls (3-5, 3-4) and Langham Creek (3-5, 3-4) are all competing for the two remaining playoff spots. Cy Creek and Cy Ridge have already clinched postseason bids.
Cy Springs must defeat district-leader Cy Creek (6-1, 6-0) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ken Pridgeon Stadium in order to have a chance at qualify for the postseason.
The team has had to adjust to a new quarterback in junior Hunter Arter and the transition from a run-based offense with last season’s 2-8 squad to a spread offense, and finally, a 4-3 base defense to a 3-3 scheme.
“We wanted to change things and be the team that changes the program,” Arter said. “It’s a lot different, spreading out the ball and letting our fast guys get out on the outside and move around.”
“The coaches are making us a lot more dedicated than we were last year. Now, it’s more focusing and not as much playing around, just business.”
Last season’s quarterback, senior wide receiver Darius Wilson, said everybody is playing their role. He enjoys helping Arter, a first-year varsity starter, who earned the starting quarterback spot this season.
“At first, I felt that I had the experience to carry the team, but now I see the type of offense we have and the more athletes we have spread on the field, it’s harder for the defense to contain us,” Wilson said. “We come out here and practice every day. We’ve come together more as a team.”
Gonzalez said there’s been improvement but also inconsistency. Case in point: the Panthers scored 37 points in a two-point victory over Langham Creek a week after the offense was shut out in a 48-14 loss to Cy Woods.
Last Friday, the defense struggled in a 56-28 loss to defending district champion Cy Ridge, falling behind 35-7 at halftime.
“We had hoped at the beginning of the year that we’d have the opportunity to fight for a playoff spot, and fortunately, we’re there,” Gonzalez said. “Sometimes we play really, really well, and sometimes, we don’t play. It’s going to take time, but the good thing is we’re making strides in the right direction.”
Unfortunately, success isn’t always measured simply by improvement.
It’s tracked by the bottom line, in this case, whether the Panthers reach the postseason or not.
“The goal that the kids set was to make the playoffs, anything short of that would be disappointing to us,” Gonzalez said.
Before the season, the team set a goal of reaching the playoffs. They’ve done 11 push-ups after each practice to symbolize the number of games they’d play if they reach the postseason.
Hurricane Ike cancelled one of their non-district games, meaning that the Panthers will only have nine regular season games this fall.
Perhaps, the Panthers should think of 11 in a new light – nine regular season games and at least one playoff victory would equal the 11 games they sought to play back in August.
“People actually think we have a chance,” Wilson said. “Not that it matters, because the only thing that matters is what our players and coaches think, but now we are starting to see more people are behind us.”
>pq1<“We were able to put up the things that we felt were important. This program is a work in progress, and we’ve taken strides in the right direction, but we’re not there yet.”
>pq2
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