Miami Trace Panthers: Can the Panthers overcome rebuilding their defense in '11?
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
The Miami Trace Panthers are looking to regain their storied tradition of gaining wins, winning South Central Ohio League titles and making the playoffs.
In their history, MT has 20 SCOL titles and has made the playoffs six times, with the most recent trip being '05.
At one time, it used to be second nature for the Panthers to end the regular season with an SCOL trophy, and though they haven't accomplished that feat since 2007, this new group of Panthers are working to get the Miami Trace football program back into the glory days.
The '11 version of the Panthers will have to do a lot of rebuilding, especially on the defensive side of the ball, replacing eight players from a team that finished 2-8 last year. In the '10 season, MT was 2-4 in the SCOL, allowing an overall total of 335 points while scoring 215.
Defensively for the Panthers, senior Logan Noble returns at defensive end, junior Connor Dement returns at outside linebacker and cornerback is senior Dustin McFadden.
"Our defensive staff does a good job of trying to get kids in the right spots," Miami Trace head coach Mike Bernard said. "That's what we are trying to do right now … getting kids in the right spot to succeed the best, and that changes daily. Our main goal is to find our best 16 players ready to go out on the field."
Looking to gain playing time on the rebuilt defense will be junior Robert Cruz, junior Jake Ault and senior Tyler Havens at defensive tackle. At other positions on the defense, junior Zach Rohrback will play tackle and outside linebacker and juniors Nick Gilbert and Josh Teasley will play inside linebacker, along with senior Josh Alltop.
At defensive end are seniors Trevor Kirkpatrick and Clayton Dyer will play on the outside and senior Carson Miller will play at linebacker. Also at linebacker will be senior Tyler Daniels.
Then there are the defensive backs, where there will be many Panthers playing at different positions including junior Brantlyn Decker, McFadden, Devin Neil, Jimmy Stroker, Austin Schoellkopf and Ryan Thompson.
Bernard said Miami Trace has inexperience at linebacker and in the defensive backfield, and how quickly players are ready to play on Friday nights will determine or be a big factor in how their MT season will end up.
"As we continue through the preseason, there are going to be surprises," Bernard said. "There are going to be disappointments where we thought kids were ready to play, and then luckily enough we are going to have pleasant surprises where a kid will step up and improve."
MT will have 12 seniors this year, with around 65 players combined in all four grades.
Some of the offensive players returning for the Panthers who started or rotated in during games in '10 will be senior running back Dyer, Dement (running back), junior tight end Derek Muncy, Cruz (center), Noble (tackle), Ault (guard) and Rohrback (guard).
One building point for the Panthers' offense will be at wide receiver, where they have no starters returning. Bernard said the inexperience at wide receiver could be a good thing because a player could step up. He also said things just may not click there for the Panthers, and that is a key spot headed into the regular-season opener against Circleville on Friday, Aug. 26.
At quarterback, there is a competition for the starting job between Stroker and Schoellkopf. Schoellkopf played at wide receiver in '10, and whomever doesn't start at quarterback for the Panthers between the two players will play at wide receiver.
Schoellkopf has a little more experience at the QB position, coming back from last season with practice time and reserve games. He's 6-0, 143 pounds and is said to throw the football extremely well.
Stroker, a sophomore, could possibly be a dual threat at the position where teams will have to be aware of not only his passing games, but his rushing attack as well.
"This is a true quarterback battle. They both can play … there is no doubt about that," Bernard said. "It is different after two years of an incumbent starter at quarterback (Tucker Hughes). What we do is divide our team into two groups during practice, and basically one is in one group and one is in the other so they both get equal time. A lot will be determined when we scrimmage teams. That will be the most important thing.
"We are looking for both quarterbacks to give us the opportunity to scare a defense when we get into a one-back set, where defense have to realize and think there are two guys who can still run the ball. They are both good kids and smart kids, and I think they understand football well."
To get back to their winning ways, the Panthers will have an old-style look to their offense, with, as Bernard put it, "a more traditional two-back offense."
an not, and we will rely heavily on our offensive line because we have some experience on the offensive line," Bernard said. "Those kids on the offensive line have gotten bigger and stronger over the winter, so we feel pretty confident in what they are doing up front."
Some other players battling for spots on the offensive line include Alltop, Gilbert and Teasley.
"They are fighting for playing time, and those kids will all rotate around," Bernard said. "Most of those kids will be playing defense as well, and the only position we don't like to rotate around is our center. Basically the guards and tackles … we will have players ready to play.
"Overall, our offensive philosophy will be to run the ball, especially with the inexperienced quarterbacks. We will throw the play action pass, and that will be where we hang our hat in the early season, and see where we stand from there."
The Panthers' biggest strengths will be their offensive and defensive lines.
"We've felt those kids (o-line/d-line) had a good winter in the weight room," Bernard said. "A lot of times the winter and spring is where the offensive and defensive lines are made. Those kids have gotten a lot bigger and stronger than they were last year."
Another positive to go with the improved offensive line will be an improved running game.
"We think we are going to have an improved running game. We have several backs we can go to," Bernard said. "We feel like we have a good amount of depth at running back."
Coming off a two-win season (defeated Hillsboro and Madison-Plains), there are still expectations for MT because they, like every other team, want to regain their own tradition and reach the playoffs if not this season, then in a future season.
"We talked all winter and spring long about becoming bigger, stronger and more physical, so we're going out with the expectation of that's what we are going to try to do," Bernard said. "I think that was our biggest drawback last season when you go back and look at it. I don't think we were as physical as we needed to be to play the team we got to play.
"What I'm looking for us is to be a more physical team. To be able to slug it out and go toe-to-toe with some teams. If we can do that, generally in football, the more physical team wins. If we can go out on any given Friday night and be the more physical football team, we should be OK."[[In-content Ad]]
In their history, MT has 20 SCOL titles and has made the playoffs six times, with the most recent trip being '05.
At one time, it used to be second nature for the Panthers to end the regular season with an SCOL trophy, and though they haven't accomplished that feat since 2007, this new group of Panthers are working to get the Miami Trace football program back into the glory days.
The '11 version of the Panthers will have to do a lot of rebuilding, especially on the defensive side of the ball, replacing eight players from a team that finished 2-8 last year. In the '10 season, MT was 2-4 in the SCOL, allowing an overall total of 335 points while scoring 215.
Defensively for the Panthers, senior Logan Noble returns at defensive end, junior Connor Dement returns at outside linebacker and cornerback is senior Dustin McFadden.
"Our defensive staff does a good job of trying to get kids in the right spots," Miami Trace head coach Mike Bernard said. "That's what we are trying to do right now … getting kids in the right spot to succeed the best, and that changes daily. Our main goal is to find our best 16 players ready to go out on the field."
Looking to gain playing time on the rebuilt defense will be junior Robert Cruz, junior Jake Ault and senior Tyler Havens at defensive tackle. At other positions on the defense, junior Zach Rohrback will play tackle and outside linebacker and juniors Nick Gilbert and Josh Teasley will play inside linebacker, along with senior Josh Alltop.
At defensive end are seniors Trevor Kirkpatrick and Clayton Dyer will play on the outside and senior Carson Miller will play at linebacker. Also at linebacker will be senior Tyler Daniels.
Then there are the defensive backs, where there will be many Panthers playing at different positions including junior Brantlyn Decker, McFadden, Devin Neil, Jimmy Stroker, Austin Schoellkopf and Ryan Thompson.
Bernard said Miami Trace has inexperience at linebacker and in the defensive backfield, and how quickly players are ready to play on Friday nights will determine or be a big factor in how their MT season will end up.
"As we continue through the preseason, there are going to be surprises," Bernard said. "There are going to be disappointments where we thought kids were ready to play, and then luckily enough we are going to have pleasant surprises where a kid will step up and improve."
MT will have 12 seniors this year, with around 65 players combined in all four grades.
Some of the offensive players returning for the Panthers who started or rotated in during games in '10 will be senior running back Dyer, Dement (running back), junior tight end Derek Muncy, Cruz (center), Noble (tackle), Ault (guard) and Rohrback (guard).
One building point for the Panthers' offense will be at wide receiver, where they have no starters returning. Bernard said the inexperience at wide receiver could be a good thing because a player could step up. He also said things just may not click there for the Panthers, and that is a key spot headed into the regular-season opener against Circleville on Friday, Aug. 26.
At quarterback, there is a competition for the starting job between Stroker and Schoellkopf. Schoellkopf played at wide receiver in '10, and whomever doesn't start at quarterback for the Panthers between the two players will play at wide receiver.
Schoellkopf has a little more experience at the QB position, coming back from last season with practice time and reserve games. He's 6-0, 143 pounds and is said to throw the football extremely well.
Stroker, a sophomore, could possibly be a dual threat at the position where teams will have to be aware of not only his passing games, but his rushing attack as well.
"This is a true quarterback battle. They both can play … there is no doubt about that," Bernard said. "It is different after two years of an incumbent starter at quarterback (Tucker Hughes). What we do is divide our team into two groups during practice, and basically one is in one group and one is in the other so they both get equal time. A lot will be determined when we scrimmage teams. That will be the most important thing.
"We are looking for both quarterbacks to give us the opportunity to scare a defense when we get into a one-back set, where defense have to realize and think there are two guys who can still run the ball. They are both good kids and smart kids, and I think they understand football well."
To get back to their winning ways, the Panthers will have an old-style look to their offense, with, as Bernard put it, "a more traditional two-back offense."
an not, and we will rely heavily on our offensive line because we have some experience on the offensive line," Bernard said. "Those kids on the offensive line have gotten bigger and stronger over the winter, so we feel pretty confident in what they are doing up front."
Some other players battling for spots on the offensive line include Alltop, Gilbert and Teasley.
"They are fighting for playing time, and those kids will all rotate around," Bernard said. "Most of those kids will be playing defense as well, and the only position we don't like to rotate around is our center. Basically the guards and tackles … we will have players ready to play.
"Overall, our offensive philosophy will be to run the ball, especially with the inexperienced quarterbacks. We will throw the play action pass, and that will be where we hang our hat in the early season, and see where we stand from there."
The Panthers' biggest strengths will be their offensive and defensive lines.
"We've felt those kids (o-line/d-line) had a good winter in the weight room," Bernard said. "A lot of times the winter and spring is where the offensive and defensive lines are made. Those kids have gotten a lot bigger and stronger than they were last year."
Another positive to go with the improved offensive line will be an improved running game.
"We think we are going to have an improved running game. We have several backs we can go to," Bernard said. "We feel like we have a good amount of depth at running back."
Coming off a two-win season (defeated Hillsboro and Madison-Plains), there are still expectations for MT because they, like every other team, want to regain their own tradition and reach the playoffs if not this season, then in a future season.
"We talked all winter and spring long about becoming bigger, stronger and more physical, so we're going out with the expectation of that's what we are going to try to do," Bernard said. "I think that was our biggest drawback last season when you go back and look at it. I don't think we were as physical as we needed to be to play the team we got to play.
"What I'm looking for us is to be a more physical team. To be able to slug it out and go toe-to-toe with some teams. If we can do that, generally in football, the more physical team wins. If we can go out on any given Friday night and be the more physical football team, we should be OK."[[In-content Ad]]