Isaac Hornsby (52) of Fairbanks brings down a Benjamin Logan runner in this file photo.The Panthers will travel to Southeastern on Friday.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Will Channell)
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As the midway point of the 2017 high school football season draws closer, the Fairbanks Panthers have an opportunity to go above the .500 mark.
FHS will take a 2-2 record on the road Friday to face the Trojans of Southeastern, who are 1-3.
The Trojans are coached by Payton Printz, who previously had a lengthy tenure as Triad’s head gridiron boss.
“It’s always good to have Payton back around,” said FHS head coach Patrick Cotter.
Southeastern will employ a spread offense and will power run a bit out of the formation.
“They appear to have a 60-40 pass-to-run ratio,” said Cotter.
The Trojans have been led by two quarterbacks, Hunter Davis and Rily Doyle, this season.
Their top ‘go-to’ guy appears to be Hunter Toops, the squad’s leading receiver.
The Trojans’ skill position players are bolstered by a solid offensive line that Cotter says, “comes off the ball well.”
The Panther boss expects Southeastern will throw some type of four-man defensive front against his team.
“It will most likely be a 4-2,” he said.
The Trojans’ defensive objective, like other FHS opponents, will be to stop the Panthers’ passing game.
“They like to pressure the quarterback with their two inside linebackers,” said Cotter. “They are also athletic and run to the football well.”
Fairbanks’ receivers could exploit Southeastern’s secondary if “we make our checks,” said Cotter. “We have to let Jacob (quarterback Nicol) get the ball into our playmakers’ hands.”
The key to victory for the Panthers will be, in their coach’s words, “going fast and doing what we do. Our defense has to run to the football and we hope our athletes can ‘out-athlete’ theirs.”
With the current campaign reaching its halfway point after Friday’s game, Cotter was asked to give his squad a midseason grade.
“I’d have to say we grade out at an ‘A,’” he said. “I know we have lost two games. However, the guys have stuck to the plan, other than a mistake here or there.
“We just have to keep trusting in the process and continue to get after it.”