Improvements needed in all areas

By Rex Kirts

The list is long, so very long.
Just when it looked like South had begun an upward climb with its victory at North last week, the Panthers fall down and get pounded at Southport, 23-0.
The list of must-correct items include:
Blocking.
Tackling.
Intercepting.
Not fumbling.
Not getting punts blocked.
Penalty elimination.
Offense, all aspects.
Defense, all aspects.
Aggressiveness.
In the off-season, strength and more strength.
And, somewhere some speed and skill must be found.
THERE, THAT SHOULD DO for now, although there is space for more on the list. Left off because it always tops any list is want-to.
The list includes all levels of South's program because the Panthers were swept over the weekend, the jayvee and freshmen losing, too, to a program that until the last three years was strictly a doormat. South's varsity was blanked, the jayvees scored only once, and the freshman team that was undefeated scored just 13 points.
The Panther defense held on for a while, but once Southport got rolling it ran and passed easily. It ran the corners, it ran the option, it ran inside with its mis-direction and option plays befuddling the Panthers. Southport passed well because there was seldom any rush on the quarterback, and the secondary had moments of confusion.
Offensively, South couldn't move the ball on the ground, rushing for only 109 yards. It didn't pass effectively, although a TD pass was nullified by a penalty.
ON A DRIVE in the third quarter, when the Panthers trailed 16-0, they could have gotten back in the game, but three straight holding penalties killed them. The last one nullified the TD pass.
When Southport went ahead 16-0 with 0:09 left in the half, its drive was kept alive because South dropped three passes that could have been intercepted.
One of the bottom lines in the contest was that Southport was faster and stronger. It's a situation South is likely to find itself in all season.
The Panther coaches had that haggard, back-to-the-drawing-board look afterward.
"I don't think they understand there is a mental and emotional side of football," coach Kirk Kennedy said of the Panthers. "They were like zombies. In practice we address the problems, but on Friday night we fall back into old habits."
THE PANTHERS played confused. And they didn't play with the fire they did against North. Kennedy wondered if that was a problem. "We got excited last week because of the opponent, not because it was the game of football. If there's a choice we seem to make the easy choice, the comfortable choice."
He doesn't like the fact the Panthers can't get off blocks, and on the offensive side they "play high" instead of staying low and driving off the ball.
Defensively, against a team that runs option and mis-direction you must play assignment football. So often the Panthers were zigging when Southport's runners were zagging.
"We didn't play our assignments," Kennedy said.
A MAJOR PROBLEM was the lack of rush on the quarterback. Against the Southport spread formations the Panthers rushed three linemen, and it was ineffective. A couple of other times rushers "just flat-out missed" the quarterback, Kennedy noted.
The only positive from the Conference Indiana matchup (South is 1-4 overall, 1-2 in the conference) is the chance to learn from the mistakes and improve.
"We need some people to step forward and say, 'Enough is enough,' " Kennedy said.
The Panthers return to Fred Huff Field next Friday to take on Lawrence Central (4-1, 2-1).
A NICE PRODUCTION
Southport put on a nice homecoming show. It included a near capacity crowd, a good parade and two skydivers floating onto the field before the game. Good stuff.
Football-wise, that school has come a long way in a short time. The coach is Bill Peebles, and the athletic director is Pete Hubert.