The Nease Panthers went into the season with a game plan of picking up where they left off, and so far, they have done exactly that. The Panthers are currently 2-0 having already defeated the Creekside Knights and the Ponte Vedra Sharks. This marks the third year in a row that Nease has defeated Ponte Vedra.
Last season, the Panthers were undefeated in the regular season and advanced to the second round of the playoffs where they lost to the Oakleaf Knights. Nease lost a lot of seniors on offense last season, but that doesn’t seem to have slowed them down.
Head coach Collin Drafts understands he might have to deal with some inexperience on the offensive side of the ball; however, he is confident in his defensive core. “We feel like we are going to be able to rely on our defense because we are a veteran group over there,” said Drafts.
This season, the Panthers defense will be anchored by senior linebacker Jacob Curry who is currently committed to Northwestern. Seniors Noah Hodge, Kyle Hurtado and Kru Casey round out Drafts’ veteran group of linebackers and have already proven they are a force to be reckoned with. Junior running back Enrique Ordonez has also been a bright spot for the Panthers so far this season. In the game against Ponte Vedra, Ordonez rushed for 194 yards on 18 carries.
Nease has a rigorous schedule this season, but Drafts has faith in his team. “We had a great offseason, we had a great spring, and I feel like we can keep the momentum from last year going.” he said.
The Panthers are setting the bar high and fully plan to make a return to the postseason. “We were disappointed that we had a second-round exit last year so we want to get back there and advance even further this year. That’s the goal,” said Drafts.
