With lots of new faces handling the pigskin and new uniforms to boot, the Heber Springs Panthers came into Monday night’s scrimmage in Greenbrier with a lot to show and some things to prove.
Playing one half against Class 5A powers Central Arkansas Christian and Greenbrier, Heber certainly held its own as they tied Greenbrier 6-6 and the first team handled CAC 8-7 before the Mustangs depth took over as their reserves outscored the Panthers second and third teams 21-0 to pull away.
Panther Coach Steve Janski liked what he saw once the Panthers got into the flow of the game. “I think we started to play once we settled down. You’ve got a lot of nerves out there with first time starters. Not only did we lose a lot of starters but we lost two-year starters, so this was a scrimmage that we put a lot of pressure on them to see how they would respond and you could tell that first series and even midway through the second, we were rattled.”
The defense particularly played well, which was something Janski was concerned about coming in. “I was kind of worried about us defensively coming in here but they really played excellent tonight because CAC is a talented group and Greenbrier is picked to win their conference. For us to walk away from this on film and go back and study, correct and get better is unbelievable because this is a great test of where we are at.”
Heber publicly displayed its triple option attack for the first time with junior quarterback Michael Ludwig making decisions of whether to hand off inside, keep or pitch. Janski said Ludwig likely graded out around 50 percent on his reads, but said he would have to check the film to be sure. “I would say Michael was probably 50/50 from what I saw on the sideline, now the film may tell me something different. If he is 50/50 making plays like that and if we can get him to take it to the third level of that option, which is to pitch, I think that is when big plays are going to happen. That will also open up more opportunity for our A backs, Markeyvus Mays and Ethan Bly, opening up things up the middle.”
The offensive line, which returns two key starters in seniors Joseph Tharp and Jimbo Bodron, replaced three main stays from last year’s state quarterfinal team that finished with a record of 10-3. Junior center Austin Childers, sophomore Rose Bud transfer Derrick Fisher and sophomore left tackle Ethan Lee filled those holes on Monday. “Jimbo and Joseph have to anchor the offensive line. I feel real solid there. Derrick Fisher is our new boy in there along with Ethan Lee. I don’t really know about Childers. He has great snaps and protects the football as far as snap technique but I don’t know about the blocking. I felt we got blown off the ball but we won’t know until we watch that film. I feel like Joseph and Jimbo probably had a decent night.”
The Panthers battled CAC in the first senior high scrimmage of the evening and the Mustangs got the ball first in the two 15-minute periods of exhibition football. Running back Eric Simmons churned out a first down with a 7-yard rush followed by an 8-yard reception in which he made a couple shifty moves for a new set of downs at the Mustang 45.
Heber’s defense kept its composure as Bly busted up a screen play from his linebacker position and quarterback Dylan Sherrill fired incomplete on two consecutive passes, including a third down heave broken up by strong safety Caleb Carmikle and cornerback Jesse Lawrence.
The Panthers began their first drive at the 20 following a punt from CAC. Mays broke loose over left guard with a tackle-breaking 15-yard run on first down but the Mustangs defense stiffened, forcing a punt. Landon Glover’s punt rolled dead at the CAC 20, where the Mustangs started their second series.
Sherrill kept for 5 yards and Simmons turned a tunnel screen into 10 more before Heber’s defense came up with a stop. On second and 7, Bly pressured Sherrill into a desperate pass and the Mustangs’ quarterback passed incomplete again on third down as the Panthers forced a punt.
On first down from the CAC 28, Ludwig kept up the gut, kept his legs churning and spun through the pile for 7 tough yards but an illegal formation penalty doomed Heber’s drive and CAC linebacker John Edwards made a big stop on Mays on a third and 8 swing pass from Ludwig. Glover’s punt gave the Mustangs the ball at their own 34, where they opened a 6-play, 66-yard scoring strike.
After Simmons took a sweep around the right side for 8 yards, Edwards turned a quick screen pass from Sherrill into 6 yards and a first down. The Panthers forced an incompletion and defensive end Jake Blackwood stuffed a screen attempt for a short gain, however, on third and 9, Sherrill connected with Edwards on a post route for 27 yards and a first down at the Heber 24.
On the next play, Simmons took an inside trap up the middle, found a gaping hole and burst into the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown with 49 seconds left in the first quarter. Ryan Newsom added the PAT, giving the Mustangs a 7-0 advantage.
The Panthers responded with a 13-play, 70-yard scoring drive. Starting from their own 30, Mays was stuffed on first down but Heber drew CAC offside, then Mays powered over left guard for 4 yards as the first quarter came to a close.
Facing third and short, Ludwig kept over right guard for 4 yards but Glover, who received some first-team snaps at quarterback, passed incomplete. On second and 10, Glover hit Mays in the left flat, where he cut up and weaved through defenders for 10 yards and a new set of downs.
Mays added a 9-yard run over right tackle and Ludwig spun out of a tackle for 7 more, setting up a first down at the Mustang 31. After Edwards stuffed Mays for a short gain, Glover scrambled around the right end for 4 yards. On third and five, the Mustangs swarmed Ludwig for a 2-yard loss, leaving the Panthers with a fourth and 7.
On fourth down, Ludwig rolled left and found a seam for 15 yards, finishing the run with a lot of authority. On the Panthers’ next play, Mays found an opening over the right side and ran through two tackles at the 5-yard line on his way to a 13-yard touchdown with 7:14 left in the second quarter. On the two-point conversion, Ludwig scrambled left and found Geoffrey Anderson near the goal-line, where he made the catch near the turf as the Panthers jumped in front, 8-7.
CAC’s coach called for his second team and the Panthers did the same but with less success. During the final seven minutes, CAC scored three times against the Panthers’ reserves as the Mustangs claimed a 28-8 victory despite being outscored by Heber’s first team.
In the Panthers second scrimmage versus Greenbrier, the Panthers immediately drove into enemy territory before stalling out. On second and nine, Ludwig made an option pitch to Anderson for 9 yards then Mays took a quick pitch around the right end for 15 yards, setting up a first and 10 from the Greenbrier 45.
Two Ludwig keepers amounted to only 2 yards then Anderson was blown up on a third down screen pass for no gain, leaving Heber facing a fourth and 8 from the Greenbrier 43. The Panthers came through in the clutch for the second time on fourth down as Ludwig rolled right and lobbed over the middle, where Luke Fair made a leaping catch between two defenders for 12 yards and a first down.
Mays picked up 7 yards on a sweep around the left end but Greenbrier’s defense tightened and stopped Mays short on a fourth and one run up the middle as the Panthers turned the ball over on downs at the Greenbrier 22.
Greenbrier marched into Heber territory behind the nifty running of Hunter Winston, who had carries of 8 and 15 yards before fullback Blake Henderson turned a quick screen into 16 yards and a first down at the Panther 44.
Quarterback Neal Burcham hit Winston on a screen to the left and the running back did the rest with more shifty moves that led to 20 yards and another first down. After Burcham found Henderson on a slant for 9 yards, the highly regarded junior quarterback had a pass slip out of his hands under the pressure of Blackwood, who also recovered the fumble at the Heber 27.
Greenbrier forced a three and out, then its offense struck for a score in two plays. Burcham hit receiver Jesse May on a quick slant and he shed a tackle before hitting the right sideline for 45 yards to the Panther 21. On the next play, Winston took a shotgun draw up the middle where he found a huge hole and cruised into the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown with four seconds left in the first quarter. Burcham fired incomplete on the two-point conversion, leaving Greenbrier with a 6-0 lead.
Similar to the first scrimmage against CAC, Heber countered with a scoring drive–this time marching 70 yards in six plays. Mays picked up his own fumble and advanced it 9 yards then Ludwig kept over right guard for 6 yards before Carmikle was stopped for no gain on a pitch to the left side.
On second and 10, receiver Andrew Hill broke free on a post route, drawing a pass-interference call as Greenbrier’s secondary mauled the 6-4 receiver. The penalty gave Heber a first down at the Greenbrier 40, where Carmikle was stuffed on an inside handoff for no gain. On second and 10, Ludwig rolled right and found Hill wide-open at the 15-yard line and he did the rest by racing 10 yards and carrying a defender on his back for the final five yards, completing a 40-yard touchdown pass by twisting across the goal-line. Ludwig was corralled trying to scramble up the middle on the two-point conversion, leaving the game tied at 6-all.
On Greenbrier’s ensuing possession, Bly picked off Burcham’s underneath pass at the Panther 25 and returned it 7 yards the 32, ending a promising drive by the home team. With 6:30 remaining, Heber started a scoring drive that was called back by penalty. Starting from their own 37, Ludwig kept around right tackle for 22 yards but Bly was stuffed for no gain and Glover passed incomplete. On third and 10, Bly took an inside handoff up the gut for 15 yards and a first down at the Greenbrier 26.
After Clint Ligon recovered his own fumble for no gain, Bly powered behind center for 6 yards then the sophomore running back broke free over the right side, used a stiff-arm to shed a tackler at the 10 and carried a defender on his back the final five yards for a 20-yard touchdown that was called back by a holding penalty.
The Panthers couldn’t make up for the penalty and both teams used mostly reserves in final two minutes as the game eventually ended in a 6-6 tie.
Janski came away impressed with Bly’s mental toughness. “Bly, a sophomore,” Janski emphasized, “fumbled on offense but didn’t let it get to him mentally and stepped in and got a pick. That was great. I saw a lot of bright things tonight from our first and second units like Blaine Hill. Little Blaine Hill stepped up and made some big plays being fearless and that is what is exciting as a coach. Everybody got to play and everybody had success tonight,” added Janski.
Heber opens its regular season at home against the Mountain View Yellow Jackets on Friday, Sept. 3. Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
