Panthers ready to contend for another title
S ince he’s been at Greenbrier, Randy Tribble has set expectations high, and his Panthers have usually lived up to them.
Tribble, head coach at Harding University from 1994-2007, took over a Greenbrier program in 2008 that had suffered three consecutive losing seasons and had won a combined six games. Since taking the reins, he has completely changed the football culture at the school, turning the Panthers into a perennial playoff contender.
After the Panthers won just one game in 2008, Tribble, led them to nine victories each in 2009, ’10 and ’11. They won 11 games and a 5A-West title in 2012. The Panthers slipped back a bit in 2013, winning four games, but they doubled that total in 2014, won seven games in 2015 and eight and a second conference championship in 2016.
Tribble, 65-34 heading into his 10th season with the Panthers, led them to an 8-3 record in 2016 with a share of the 5A-West championship. It marked just the second conference title for the team in 30 years and the first since 2012.
The high expectations won’t change in 2017.
“We will be in the fight for the conference championship,” Tribble said.
But last year, the second seed from the West fell to Forrest City, No. 5 from the East, in the opening round of the Class 5A state playoffs, 60-34.
“Last season was bittersweet in that we had a chance to win the conference [outright] late in the season but lost to Alma,” Tribble said. “The year was different than most in that we got a forfeit win vs. Morrilton after losing to them, 35-27. That changed the dynamic of the rest of the year.”
The Panthers, who have won 56 games in the past seven seasons, opened the 2016 season 2-0 after wins over Beebe, 54-33, and Heber Springs, 52-41. They lost their final nonconference game to Class 6A Benton, 58-21, but opened 5A-West play with a 41-34 win over Maumelle.
Last season was bittersweet in that we had a chance to win the conference [outright] late in the season but lost to Alma.” RANDY TRIBBLE GREENBRIER HEAD COACH
Greenbrier fell to Morrilton the following week, but the Devil Dogs wound up forfeiting that win — and three others — over an eligibility issue.
On the field, the Panthers reeled off wins at Farmington, 41-14; over Harrison, 48-43; and at Clarksville, 36-8, before losing the showdown with Alma, 49-28, and holding off Vilonia, 21-17, to close the regular season 8-2.
“Our biggest win of the year was against Harrison,” Tribble said. “Finishing 8-3 was an accomplishment we were proud of for the number of injuries we had, but we were not satisfied.”
Overcoming five forfeits, Morrilton’s Devil Dogs won the last five games of the regular season, including a 28-26 victory over Alma that would assure Greenbrier a share of the conference title.
The Panthers graduated Carter Burcham, the 5A-West offensive player of the year and an all-state performer who threw for 2,245 yards and 30 touchdowns in his only season as a starter. He signed with Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.
“We have more questions than answers
right now,” Tribble said during the offseason. “But the summer is going very well, and the players have great attitude and work ethic.”
Four starters return to run Tribble’s Spread offense in 2017, with five back for the 4-3 defensive scheme.
Key returners include senior running back/linebacker Spencer Sutterfield (5-10, 195), senior wide receiver/safety Grant Brown (6-0, 190), senior wide receiver/ cornerback Reese Hammontree (6-0, 175), senior offensive guard/defensive tackle Joseph Shaw (6-0, 240), junior running back/safety Seth Howard (5-9, 180) and senior cornerback/wide receiver Logan Beaird (5-11, 175).
Sutterfield ran for 437 yards and seven touchdowns on 76 carries as a junior and also caught 11 passes for 102 yards. Brown had 254 yards receiving last year (18 receptions for four touchdowns). Hammontree caught 11 passes for 168 yards as a junior. Shaw started on the O-line as a junior and was an alternate on the defensive line. Howard rushed for 125 yards and three scores at Heber Springs last year. Beaird made five receptions for 71 yards last season.
Projected starters on offense include senior Jeremy Kendall (6-4, 210) at quarterback; Howard and Sutterfield at running back; Hammontree and Beaird at wide receiver; Brown and junior SaCari Reese (5-10, 180) in the slot; Shaw and senior Logan Palmer (6-4, 285) at tackle; senior K.J. Jones (6-1, 295) and junior Landen Mazur (6-3, 285) at guard; and senior Asha Burrell (6-1, 240) at center.
Defensively, juniors Tanner Vinacco (5-10, 205) and Nick Allen (6-1, 210) are set at the ends, with Jones and senior Christian Hogan (6-1, 285) at the tackles; Sutterfield, senior Tristan Rodriguez (5-10, 185) and sophomore Ryan Barnard (6-2, 185) at linebacker; Hammontree and Beaird at the corners; and Brown, Howard and senior Gage Hogan (5-11, 175) at the safeties.
Tribble said senior defensive tackle K.J. Park (6-1, 295) is a top newcomer. He transferred in from Milwaukee.
Team strengths, he said, will be a good senior class, good leaders, running backs and returning experience at defensive back. But the Panthers face a lack of depth on both lines and at linebacker, and they will start the season with an inexperienced quarterback.
According to a statewide publication’s preseason poll of league coaches, Alma is picked to win the league in 2017. Morrilton is picked second, followed by Greenbrier, Harrison, Maumelle, Farmington, Vilonia and Clarksville.
The top four teams will move on to the Class 5A state playoffs.
Tribble predicted that Morrilton and Alma will battle for the league title with Greenbrier third, Harrison fourth, Vilonia fifth, Maumelle sixth, Farmington seventh and Clarksville eighth.
“Morrilton and Alma are very good programs,” he said. “They have good athletes.”
Last season, the 5A-West’s top-seeded Alma Airedales beat Blytheville in the first round of the playoffs, 38-13, before falling to Watson Chapel in the quarterfinals, 42-35. Harrison, the third seed, fell in the first round to Batesville, 35-14. Morrilton, the fourth seed, lost to Wynne in the opening round, 50-21.
Key games, Tribble said, will include road trips to Morrilton on Sept. 29, Harrison on Oct. 13 and Alma on Oct. 27.
“I just think they are the strongest teams besides us,” he said.