Panther Preview

In 2013, the Benton Panthers took a big step on the path towards a return to the football program’s glory days. Their six wins were the most by a Panthers team since the 2005 squad went 9-3. It also proved to be the second year in a row Benton was able to post a Class 6A State playoff win. The Panthers edged Russellville 36-34 in a first-round thriller before being outscored by El Dorado, 51-34, in the second round.

When Scott Neathery took over as head coach of the Panthers in 2010, the team was coming off a one-win season, the lowest win total for the program since the 1968 team went 0-11. He talked about changing the culture. “I feel like we are changing it,” he said recently. “It doesn’t happen overnight. Every year, you can really see, we’re getting just a little bit better and a little bit better. Finally, it’s starting to pay off with wins.”

Benton won three games in 2010 and again in 2011. In 2012, it was four including that playoff win.

Neathery asserted that the win total is not the only place he sees progress. “As far as dedication goes,” he said. “Like in off-season, every year we get a little stronger. Football means a little more to these kids and every year they like it just a little bit more.”

“I can tell in the support and how people talk about Benton football,” he added. “There are just little things. It’s nothing that’s just real glaring but if you’re close to the program you can see it; you can feel it. It makes me feel real good about where we’re headed and what we’re doing.”

The Panthers were impacted by the arrival of a strong class of sophomores last season and they will form the core of this year’s team as juniors. “This junior class is the strongest that I’ve had so far,” he related. “Physically strong. We’ve had years where we had maybe one guy hit 300 on bench press. I’ve got seven or eight of them benching 300 and several that are close. We’ve got several power-cleaning 300. That means a lot.”

One place the Panthers hope to improve is on defense after surrendering an average of just over 35 points a game a year ago. New defensive coordinator Brad Harris, the former head coach at Lincoln, will lead that effort. “He did real well at Lincoln,” Neathery noted. “We’re real fortunate to get him to come and be in charge of our defense.”

Harris arrived in time for spring practice and with him were his two sons. Drew, a senior, played quarterback at Lincoln last year and helped the Wolves reach the Class 4A State semifinals.

The offense produced an average of 34 points a game last season and figures to be just as potent, perhaps in a somewhat different way, this season. Gone is the run-pass firepower of quarterback Tarek Beaugard but Neathery has been excited by junior Cason Maertens’ potential since the young signal-caller was in junior high. “We came close to starting him last year over Tarek,” the coach said. “Cason’s just got command of the offense. He and I are on the same page about 99 percent of the time. He understands what we’re trying to do, which is huge. His arm has gotten stronger. He’s got a little quicker release. He just does a great job.”

Drew Harris will provide a back-up for Maertens but, as Neathery said, “looks to be a big part of our offense. He’s a good football player; a good athlete. For us, he’s probably going to play some receiver and running back. He’ll be a change-up guy at quarterback. He’s a sprint-out, zone-read guy.”

Junior Drew Dyer returns as the H-back after an all-conference campaign in 2013. “He runs the ball hard and he catches it well,” Neathery mentioned. “He’s very important to what our offense does.”

Also in the picture at running back is Chase Shamlin, who moved back to Benton after a year at Pulaski Robinson. At receiver, seniors Sam Baker and Casey Green along with junior Grayson Morrow are in the mix.

Senior Bret Stracener is the center. He’ll be joined by junior Selleck Childress with returning starters Kellen Hancock, Preston Madison, and Roy Blalock. Sophomore Jacob Cooper will get playing time too as well senior Lucas Davis who got some playing time last season at guard.

Defensively, senior Daniel Clegg and junior William (Bill-Bill) Williams will both play at noseguard. Senior Garrett Taylor and junior John Penn will man the ends. “We’ve got a really good battle at nose,” Neathery said. “Both those guys can play. Our ends were outstanding in the spring.”

Junior Dylan Murphy is the middle linebacker. Senior Tim Dezort is a returning starter. Juniors Ben Brazell and Kyler Nitschke will play a lot.

In an uneven front, the Panthers will use a bandit back this season and seniors Brandon Black and Dillon Davis are holding forth there along with junior Michael Weser.

In the secondary, juniors Dontae Winston and Jacob Jarrett finished the spring on top of the depth chart at corner. Junior Simeon Watson, a move-in from Bryant, will help there. Three-year starter Stone Paul is the defensive quarterback at safety. “Stone is very important to our defense,” Neathery said.