Now they believe

By Rex Kirts

Was Wednesday's football practice perception, or was it reality?
At the end of practice the Panthers were prancing and spirited, and that simply hadn't happened before this week. Normally they dragged, beaten from the rigors and the heat and all things football.
"We have a lot more energy," junior quarterback and captain Michael Bower said. "We're energized and upbeat."
But, he added, they're definitely still working hard. Practices haven't suddenly become so easy that the players have an excess of get-up-and-go after a hard day in the dust.
"If that's the case (lots of spirit at the end of practice) then maybe their attitude is getting better," coach Kirk Kennedy said. "Nothing has changed at practice. Maybe they're adapting to what we're doing better and not causing their own problems.
"THEIR PERCEPTION of it is better. If that's true, then they're making progress.
"I said all along we were not a bad football team. I think the win vindicated everything we've been telling them all along. I don't know how to make football fun other than to kick someone's butt and win."
The sudden upsurge in spirit is, of course, the direct result of not only working hard but seeing a positive result of it. The positive result was the Pantheres' first win in four games, the 45-35 victory over North.
The win made believers of the Panthers, believers in what Kennedy is trying to accomplish and how he's doing it.
To be determined, though, is what it all means. Will more wins be forthcoming?
"We'll see Friday," Kennedy said. The Panthers travel to Southport Friday to take on one of the teams expected to be strong in Conference Indiana. Southport's title hopes suffered a setback last week when the Cardinals lost to winless Perry Meridian in a rival game much like South-North.
"SOUTHPORT IS VERY CAPABLE," Kennedy said. "Their program was once where ours is, but they dug themselves out of a hole and are playing with confidence.
"This is a game we can win or a game we can lose. The variable is us."
Beating North in front of a full house was a catalyst.
"I think we're pleased, but we're not satisfied. And we want more of it," Bower said.
The pleased part was modified soon after the game, on Saturday morning when the tape was seen.
"We still made some mistakes," Kennedy said. "We were high on our blocking, and the defensive line was high when we took on our blocks.
"But our effort was better, and we played with more confidence. We won't know until Friday what it means. I don't know if our play was because of who we were playing (the city opponents) or were we better.
"We weren't getting off our blocks, and we were getting caved in (on the corners). But those problems are fixable."
THEY ARE ESPECIALLY FIXABLE because he's got the Panthers' attention more than ever.
"That's what I'm looking for," Kennedy said. "All the work and practices and drills and preaching and teaching - when you put it all together it works. The kids have an example now to learn from."
He doesn't expect a letdown from the big emotional win last week, though there is the natural concern of proper focus on the next opponent. He probably stopped any letdown tendency quickly on Monday with another hard-hitting nutcracker session.
"They need to look for ways to improve," Kennedy said. "Through working hard hard they can get better, achieve their destiny, achieve their goals.
"It's like one of my favorite sayings: 'The beatings will continue until the morale improves.'
"The work finally turned into something positive last week. We were 0-3, but now the morale has improved. It's amazing what one win will do for you. Things aren't that different, but their perception is because of that one win."
NOT PLANNED
When Lucas Franz ran from punt formation for a first down at North it was not a planned play. He can be very thankful the play worked.