Coming off arguably the banner year for football at Perry High School, the mindset of Panther coaches isn’t so much on picking up where things left off in 2007. With two weeks to work at what’s called spring football, head coach Andy Scott has one major theme on his mind: Get back to the basics.
“We lost a great deal of players,” said Scott on Monday, the first day of the second spring week. “We’re trying to make sure fundamentally we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. Making sure we understand responsibilities.
“I thought last week was really good. I’ve been really proud of Dardra Ragin and him picking up where Casey (Hayward) left off. At the same time we have a lot of questions to be answered.”
Hayward leaves the Perry program after some record-setting performances at quarterback to become a defensive back at Vanderbilt. Tony Davis, Kanorris Davis and Akeen Felder are other seniors who are bound for college football. They were the cornerstones of a Class AAA quarterfinal team.
To make even more strides in the 2008 season, Scott will learn a class of rising seniors led by a few high on the college-recruiting list. The leader by far is offensive guard Johnnie Farms, and he is joined by veteran receiver Trey Smith and third-year running back Jacorey Lane.
“I really feel blessed about our offensive line,” said Scott. “With Farms and Jonathan Clowers, Clint Kirk and A.J. Foster, those four guys coming back have solidified our offensive line.”
Clowers is actually a transfer for the defensive line in the 2007 campaign. Scott said he’s played offense before, so him with Farms gives Perry a formidable left side.
The time between the junior and senior seasons for a major prospect like Farms are every bit as loaded as the time after a senior year. Farms spent the first few months of 2008 attending what’s known as Junior Days at several major universities. That doesn’t include the pages of exposure on college football recruiting web sites.
“It’s fun, just fun,” said Farms. “It’s a lot of traveling. I like traveling. I like meeting coaches, players and getting to know all the schools and seeing what they have to offer.
“Everywhere you go it’s nice. It’s shiny and everything. Everybody has top of the line stuff.”
Farms has yet to make a verbal commitment, but he’s pretty much narrowed his focus down to schools in the Southeastern Conference.
“Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina, that’s my top schools,” said Farms. “LSU, too. I want to go help (someone) win a national championship.”
At spring practice for Perry High and the upcoming summer training season, Farms is focused on playing for a state championship. But also, he doesn’t want to leave the Panther program high and dry for the future.
“I want to get these linemen ready, prepare them for this year and teach them a couple of things to get ready for next year,” said Farms. “So Perry High won’t stop. It’ll keep going.”
In addition to Smith, Scott said Kirk is catching some attention as a line prospect for college ball. Scott reported that Smith picked up an offer from Western Michigan, a school that had a scout present at the first day of spring.
“We’ve averaged at least one or two a day,” said Scott. “(Monday) was a low day. We had one.”
And that one was from Connecticut.
But for Scott it’s about all the players and how they will develop as Panthers. What’s become known as the “Summer Grind” begins with the start of weight lifting on June 16.
“We feel like that’s been a huge plus for us in our conditioning and the way we practice,” said Scott about a system that includes a complex obstacle course.
When all of that’s done, the signs will point towards first a scrimmage game with Houston County High and then Aug. 31 and the season opener at McConnell Talbert Stadium against Northside High.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to go up there and play a team like Northside,” said Scott. “It’s an opportunity to see how good or how bad we are early. Especially against a team that’s 44-1 and played in the last three (AAAA) state championship games, it’s an honor for our kids to compete against someone like that.”
