Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
CLARKSVILLE PANTHERS
2017 RECORD 1-9, 0-7 5A-West Conference COACH Khris Buckner
RETURNING STARTERS 9 offense, 8 defense
KEY PLAYERS B Nicholas Buckner (Jr., 6-2, 185), B Jamie White (Jr., 5-9, 165), WB Xavier Holland (Sr., 5-3, 135), OL Joseph Ayers (Jr., 6-3, 300), OL Michael Powell (Jr., 6-3, 304), LB Fernando Lares (Sr., 6-0, 215).
THE SKINNY The Panthers will operate out of the single-wing again this season, and Coach Buckner said the year of experience in the offense will make a tremendous difference this season. … Nicholas Buckner triggers the ancient offense as spinner along with Jamie White. Both players will play significant roles as both can pass and are effective runners. Last season, Buckner, the coach’s son, ran for 1,266 yards until he was injured in week eight. White accounted for more than 200 yards against Morrilton. The two spinners — one is right-handed and the other left-handed — give the Panthers two different attack plans at the same time. … Depth continues to be an issue at Clarksville, but Buckner is encouraged with the numbers in the program. … Clarksville has not won a conference game since 2013 other than by forfeit. … The 5A-West looks a little different this season with Maumelle out and Huntsville in. … Three games to start league play loom large for the Panthers. Clarksville will host Farmington and Huntsville sandwiched around a road trip to Harrison. If the Panthers can win two of their first three conference games, they could be in the hunt for a playoff bid. COACH SPEAK “We’re sticking with the single-wing,” Clarksville coach Khris Buckner said. “We had a lot of success with it. We averaged 403 yards per game, which was up quite a bit from the year before. We’ve expanded it and made it better, I think. We just had a coach in from Florida to help us with some new wrinkles. So I’m real excited. We’ve got what we really do well, and now we’ve added to it and progressed. I think this is the year we can really take off in the offense.”