Page 18 - Demo

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26, 2018 | RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FOOTBALL PREVIEW
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GREENBRIER PANTHERS
Panthers aim for third-straight conference title
STACI VANDAGRIFF/RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION
Greenbrier senior quarterback Andrew Johnson, No. 8, throws the ball to senior receiver Seth Howard.
BY DONNA LAMPKIN STEPHENS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Greenbrier overcame a 1-3 start in 2017 to win a share of the 5A-West championship for a second straight year.
Coach Randy Tribble hopes the momentum from the second half of the season will carry the Panthers to a third straight title in 2018.
“We started the season poorly, losing three of our first four games; then we went on a run and won six of our next seven,” said Tribble, 72-39 entering his 11th season atop the Faulkner County program.
The Panthers rebounded from the slow start to earn the league’s second seed and claim a first-round win in the Class 5A state playoffs over Camden Fairview, 23-6, before falling to Nettleton, 21-14, in the quarterfinals to finish 7-5.
“We were very proud of our team for improving so much after such a poor start and becoming a special team,” Tribble said.
Greenbrier opened with a 26-18 loss at Beebe; beat Heber Springs, 34-21; and lost to Class 6A Benton, 42-16; and the Panthers’ 5A-West opener against Maumelle, 21-18.
But a 38-31 win at Morrilton stopped the bad run, and a 33-16 win at Harrison two weeks later gave Tribble and the Panthers hope.
“[The Morrilton win] was the turning point in the season,” Tribble said. “A sound win against a very good Harrison team on the road was also a sign that we were a very good team.”
A 34-15 loss at Alma — Greenbrier’s only other 5A-West loss — interrupted the four- game winning streak, but the Panthers bounced
GREENBRIER PANTHERS
AUG. 24 ............................................. BEEBE SEPT. 7 ............................. @HEBER SPRINGS SEPT. 14 ............... @LR CHRISTIAN ACADEMY SEPT. 21 ............................... @HUNTSVILLE* SEPT. 28 ...................................MORRILTON* OCT. 5 .................................. @FARMINGTON* OCT. 12 .......................................HARRISON* OCT. 19 ................................@CLARKSVILLE* OCT. 26 ..............................................ALMA* NOV. 2 ............................................ VILONIA*
*DENOTES CONFERENCE GAMES
back with a 34-6 win at Faulkner County rival Vilonia to send them into the postseason.
For 2018, three starters return to run Tribble’s Spread offense, with five back for the 4-3 defensive scheme.
Team strengths, the coach said, include a returning quarterback and “good young skill guys.” But the Panthers must overcome a lack of experience and depth in the line.
Senior Seth Howard (5-9, 190) leads the returners, Tribble said. Howard started the past two seasons at safety and was the Panthers’ second-leading rusher last year. As a junior, Howard snagged 4 interceptions and recorded 49 tackles, rushed 104 times for 501 yards and 4 touchdowns and caught 15 passes for 137 yards and another score.
“Seth has added strength and mass during the offseason,” Tribble said. “He is the leading returning running back and should have a great senior year. He has great acceleration and is a good receiver.”
Also back for the Panthers is senior quarterback Andrew Johnson (6-2, 180), who took over the starting job in Week 4 last year. He completed 182 of 259 passes for 2,044 yards and 19 touchdowns.
“He was a big part of our improvement during the season,” Tribble said. “He is an outstanding baseball player. He will be counted on to improve on his stellar junior season.”
Senior Landen Mazur (6-1, 285) is the only returning starter on the offensive line. He played center most of his junior season but moved to tackle because of injuries in Week 10. He is a state champion wrestler.
Senior defensive ends Nick Allen (5-11, 210)
GREENBRIER continued on 19VV