For the second time in the last three years, Elmore County finished the football season with just two wins and the Panthers saw their first winless region slate since 1995. The team’s struggles did not come as a surprise after losing most of its production from the six-win season in 2018 but ECHS coach Jordan Cantrell said there were plenty of positives to take after seeing his team’s growth.
“It’s obviously not the record we wanted,” Cantrell said. “But we definitely improved in every phase of the game and I saw a lot of growth with the kids from the beginning of spring. They put in a lot of work and gave us something to build on.”
One of the biggest issues for Elmore County throughout the season was the lack of players on the roster. The Panthers had 36 players dress with several of them dealing with injuries.
“We don’t like to make any excuses but when you have so many guys playing both ways at this level, that’s going to be an issue,” Cantrell said. “That is something we had to battle through though.”
One place Elmore County did boast some depth was in its rushing attack. The Panthers relied on their ground game just as much as they did last season but they needed a few players to fill in the gap left by star running back DJ Patrick.
Elmore County moved to a wing-T offense but Cantrell said it was still the same schemes for the offensive line so it was easier to transition. The skill players had to work harder to adapt but Cantrell said the switch gave the Panthers the best chance at success.
“We lost a big group of seniors last year but we had a lot of guys step up,” Cantrell said. “You can’t replace a player like DJ but we had a handful of guys carrying the ball and they did well. And the offensive line really improved.”
Despite the low numbers, Cantrell said he never had a problem with work ethic from the kids who stuck around for the entire season. He said that’s the biggest thing he wants to take into next season which began when the players returned to the weight room for their first offseason workout Monday.
“We’ve got guys that work and they can see what needs to be done,” Cantrell said. “There’s no time off for them. We just have to get to work and put all the talk into action.”
Cantrell’s biggest takeaway from the season was the foundation left by the senior class. He said the records did not show the amount of work those players put in on and off the field to change the culture around the football program.
“Football is tough,” Cantrell said. “I don’t want to take anything away from the other sports but this is a year-round deal and those 10 (seniors) stuck with it through everything. That’s rare in this day and age so they have a lot to be proud of.”