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Newberry & Buchholtz Football Teams
Provide A Fall 2007 Preview
The Newberry and Buchholtz High football teams are sweating their way through summer workouts in hopes of finding success during the fall 2007 season. The Panthers met the Bobcats in the spring exhibition game, which provided coaches with an opportunity to evaluate their players and schemes.
At our press time, both the Class 2B-District 4 Newberry Panthers and Class 5A-District 3 Buchholtz Bobcats were in the midst of their summer programs. Both teams were running and lifting weights four days a week throughout the summer months to prepare for the dog days of August, when practice with pads and helmets begins.
For the Newberry Panthers, the spring game capped a successful spring practice season with victories in both the varsity and JV games, which coach Tommy Keeler hopes will translate into the team’s second consecutive playoff berth this fall. The Newberry varsity squad earned a 20-13 win over Buchholtz in the first half of the exhibition and the Panthers JV team posted an impressive 17-14 come-from-behind win over the Bobcats JV squad in the second half of the game, with all 17 Newberry points coming unanswered in the second quarter.
“We accomplished a lot this spring,” says Keeler. “To beat a (Class) 5A team is great. We know we can play with anybody.”
Quick RB/DB Antwan Ivey provided the Panthers with the first half spark by returning a kickoff 88 yards for a TD that tied the score at 13. The Bobcats avoided kicking the ball in Ivey’s direction at the beginning of the game, but the Newberry player switched sides of the field just before the kick fell into his hands. Ivey struck again for the varsity game-winning score, a six-yard TD run with less than 30 seconds on the clock. The winning score was set up by WR Ryan Brown’s acrobatic catch on the only pass thrown by Newberry QB Guy Brown.
Keeler says Ivey’s kickoff return was the big play that got the Panthers fired up. “It seemed early like they were just pounding the ball and I was a little concerned they would steamroll us,” said Keeler. “But, once we got that spark, our defense got excited too.”
Buchholtz was led by bruising RB Jonathan Dennison, who collected 79 yards and two TDs in the half. Dennison broke several tackles on his first TD, a 32-yard jaunt, and exploded for a 23-yarder for the Bobcats’ second score. Buchholtz QB Drew Gadaire completed six of nine throws and connected several times with WR Jameil McCleod, who appears to be a favorite target for the Bobcats. The second half really was a tale of two quarters.
The first quarter of the JV exhibition was dominated by the Bobcats, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead. QB Aaron Grant had a lot of success throughout the game and scored on a TD run. In the second quarter, Newberry scored three times in eight minutes, including a game-winning field goal. Buchholtz had its chances to get back in the game, but Newberry’s Eric Perez stalled one of the Bobcats’ drives by pouncing on a fumble and the Panthers sacked Grant on each of the last two plays of the game.
Buchholtz coach Jay Godwin says the Bobcats also had a successful spring, despite falling short in the spring games. “We really seemed to run and block well,” says Godwin. “We made some mental mistakes, but you expect that in the spring. We didn’t tackle well and we had a lot of missed assignments.” Godwin says he plans to help his team work out some of those issues, especially the defensive struggles, as the Bobcats prepare for the fall season.
Both coach Keeler and Godwin said their teams enjoyed facing a local rival that normally is not on their schedule. “(Newberry) has some skill players, who can play for anyone in this area,” says Godwin. “They really make you play an honest game. Of course, in the spring the offenses have the advantage because we can’t trade film and the defenses don’t really know what to expect.” Keeler says he enjoyed the two-half jamboree. “I liked the way we worked this out,” he said. “I’m grateful to coach Godwin. It was fun, but it was a little different because you’re trying to sub guys in and keep the game moving.”
The first date for contact practice in football is Thursday, August 3.
At our press time, both the Class 2B-District 4 Newberry Panthers and Class 5A-District 3 Buchholtz Bobcats were in the midst of their summer programs. Both teams were running and lifting weights four days a week throughout the summer months to prepare for the dog days of August, when practice with pads and helmets begins.
For the Newberry Panthers, the spring game capped a successful spring practice season with victories in both the varsity and JV games, which coach Tommy Keeler hopes will translate into the team’s second consecutive playoff berth this fall. The Newberry varsity squad earned a 20-13 win over Buchholtz in the first half of the exhibition and the Panthers JV team posted an impressive 17-14 come-from-behind win over the Bobcats JV squad in the second half of the game, with all 17 Newberry points coming unanswered in the second quarter.
“We accomplished a lot this spring,” says Keeler. “To beat a (Class) 5A team is great. We know we can play with anybody.”
Quick RB/DB Antwan Ivey provided the Panthers with the first half spark by returning a kickoff 88 yards for a TD that tied the score at 13. The Bobcats avoided kicking the ball in Ivey’s direction at the beginning of the game, but the Newberry player switched sides of the field just before the kick fell into his hands. Ivey struck again for the varsity game-winning score, a six-yard TD run with less than 30 seconds on the clock. The winning score was set up by WR Ryan Brown’s acrobatic catch on the only pass thrown by Newberry QB Guy Brown.
Keeler says Ivey’s kickoff return was the big play that got the Panthers fired up. “It seemed early like they were just pounding the ball and I was a little concerned they would steamroll us,” said Keeler. “But, once we got that spark, our defense got excited too.”
Buchholtz was led by bruising RB Jonathan Dennison, who collected 79 yards and two TDs in the half. Dennison broke several tackles on his first TD, a 32-yard jaunt, and exploded for a 23-yarder for the Bobcats’ second score. Buchholtz QB Drew Gadaire completed six of nine throws and connected several times with WR Jameil McCleod, who appears to be a favorite target for the Bobcats. The second half really was a tale of two quarters.
The first quarter of the JV exhibition was dominated by the Bobcats, who jumped out to a 14-0 lead. QB Aaron Grant had a lot of success throughout the game and scored on a TD run. In the second quarter, Newberry scored three times in eight minutes, including a game-winning field goal. Buchholtz had its chances to get back in the game, but Newberry’s Eric Perez stalled one of the Bobcats’ drives by pouncing on a fumble and the Panthers sacked Grant on each of the last two plays of the game.
Buchholtz coach Jay Godwin says the Bobcats also had a successful spring, despite falling short in the spring games. “We really seemed to run and block well,” says Godwin. “We made some mental mistakes, but you expect that in the spring. We didn’t tackle well and we had a lot of missed assignments.” Godwin says he plans to help his team work out some of those issues, especially the defensive struggles, as the Bobcats prepare for the fall season.
Both coach Keeler and Godwin said their teams enjoyed facing a local rival that normally is not on their schedule. “(Newberry) has some skill players, who can play for anyone in this area,” says Godwin. “They really make you play an honest game. Of course, in the spring the offenses have the advantage because we can’t trade film and the defenses don’t really know what to expect.” Keeler says he enjoyed the two-half jamboree. “I liked the way we worked this out,” he said. “I’m grateful to coach Godwin. It was fun, but it was a little different because you’re trying to sub guys in and keep the game moving.”
The first date for contact practice in football is Thursday, August 3.
