Mabank Panthers win against Mesquite Poteet, 21-17

By ART LAWLER

The Mabank Panthers finally got their first district win last Friday in Mesquite, but it wasn’t their best game, and Coach Jimmy Cantrell knows his team has to be better Friday night.

The Panthers came from behind to win a hard-fought game against the Poteet Pirates, but Forney isn’t Mesquite.

In fact, Cantrell compares the Jack Rabbits (4-3, 2-1) favorably to District 15-4A leader, Red Oak, a team that beat his Panthers two weeks ago.

Then again, it wasn’t by much, and the Panthers, video tape confirms, they did get cheated out of a down near the Red Oak goal line.

Give it back, and the Panthers had a good shot to tie the game at 14-14. After that, who knows. As it was, Mabank lost 14-7 to the team Forney looks just as good as to Cantrell.

First things first, the Mabank coach wants his team to come out faster and jump on opponents.

“I didn’t think we came out in the first half and played,” he said of the Poteet game. “I don’t know if it was because of the Thursday night thing, and we were out of rhythm.

“The Mesquite schools generally have two or three Thursday games a season, and they’ve done it every year.

“This was our first Thursday night game ever,” he said.

Even so, the Panthers are 4-2 for the season and 1-2 in district. “We could just as easily be 6-0 if the ball bounces our way a couple of times in those games we lost,” he said.

Poteet shocked the Panthers out of their lethargy early with a 63-yard-run on the first play from scrimmage.

But the Panther defense, as it has all season, got the job done, giving up just 10 more points the rest of the game.

“Everybody in the district is pretty even,” Cantrell said. “If we win out, we’re in,” he said of the 15-4A race for playoff spots.

The league sends its top four teams to the playoffs.

 “ If we win two out of three, it depends on who beats who,” Cantrell said. “Last year three wins (in district) got you in. But I don’t know about this year.”

He thinks Poteet played its best game against the Panthers last week.

Mabank has struggled inside the opponents 20 this year and is still looking for an effective running game.

“The field shortens, and schools with more athleticism starts to kick in. Strategizing goes out of the mix.”

The Panthers may be without Cameron Cantrell, who has a shoulder problem and played just three plays in the second half of the Poteet game.

Cantrell was replaced by Michael Henderson last week. “He did a great job,” his coach said. “He had 11 tackles and played the whole game.

Henderson, like Cantrell, is a junior.

This week’s defensive chore will be stopping Forney quarterback Branton Blake, a 6-3, 180 pounder, who can run a 4.5 40.

“He may be the area’s leading rusher,” Cantrell said. “If he’s not, he’s close to it.”

The Panthers will also have to stop a top of the class receiver in Juan Villareal.

“He’s got good speed,’ Cantrell said. “He’s 6-1, 180. He’s the man. But they throw to all of their receivers.”

Coach Cantrell has also called up sophomore Jesse Plunkett from the JV to play a little inside receiver.

He wears No. 1, maybe because he’s the smallest player on the team at 140 pounds soaking wet.

“He’s very athletic, and he’s got a lot of heart,” said Cantrell.

Dustin Schultz has been trying to double as a runningback, thow he’s a vital part of the team’s excellent linebacking crew.

But his offensive line hasn’t been able to open many holes for him, so far.

Overall, the Panthers are healthy for this one. Quarterback Jordan Featherston has been taking a terrific beating back there, but so far he’s hanging in and the Panthers are finding just enough space for receivers to move the ball slowly downfield.

Actually, the Panthers got four yards a carry from the running backs against Poteet.

They’re also getting some positive yardage out of the short passing game, which often is little more than a handoff. But Si Frideley had three catches for 39 yards.

Cory Janicke is getting the mid-range to long-range passes, but he’s taking a beating, too. He had six passes for 50 yards against Poteet.

He’s probably the best the team has in fighting for the ball.

Clearly, the Panthers aren’t connecting on the deep ball enough. Featherston had 25 completions in 37 attempts last week, but for just 174 yards, which is small by Panther standards.

For now, though, Cantrell will take the shorter yardage totals in exchange for more good defense.

Well that, and one more thing. “We cannot turn the ball over,” he said. “We just can’t do it.”

The winner of the Forney-Mabank game, Cantrell says flatly, will be the team that has the fewest turnovers.

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