2023 LUFKIN PANTHER FOOTBALL TOPIC DISCUSSIONS

[PackAttack]

New Lufkin ISD Superintendent search is now official.

From LDN - Lufkin school trustees on Tuesday accepted Superintendent Lynn Torres’ request to be placed on administrative leave through the end of the 2023-24 school year, with full pay and benefits. 

[PackAttack]

FYI -Playoff games comparison between Lufkin and Longview. Longview has 78 playoff wins,  and Lufkin has been sitting at 46 wins since 2017.

You know,  Longview was reading Kewone Thomas on many of his passes, Longview was well trained at trying to strip the football. The Lobos have always been susceptible to the inside slant, but you you throw on them to the outside you going to give up an INT or two.  Phillips had a huge day running over and around Lobos. Lufkin had a good OL in 2017.  Lufkin fought back and just could not close the deal after a good comeback effort. It was tough, but made myself watch it again, just trying to get the heat out my mind, and think about my favorite time of the year. 

 

[pack98]

10 minutes ago, PackAttack said:

FYI -Playoff games comparison between Lufkin and Longview. Longview has 78 playoff wins,  and Lufkin has been sitting at 46 wins since 2017.

We will probably never catch them unless we get hot for several years and they go cold cold.  Crazy to think we have been sitting at 46 for almost 6 years. 

[PackAttack]

25 minutes ago, pack98 said:

We will probably never catch them unless we get hot for several years and they go cold cold.  Crazy to think we have been sitting at 46 for almost 6 years. 

I really believe that changes this year.

[LufkinPack]

20 hours ago, PackAttack said:

FYI -Playoff games comparison between Lufkin and Longview. Longview has 78 playoff wins,  and Lufkin has been sitting at 46 wins since 2017.

You know,  Longview was reading Kewone Thomas on many of his passes, Longview was well trained at trying to strip the football. The Lobos have always been susceptible to the inside slant, but you you throw on them to the outside you going to give up an INT or two.  Phillips had a huge day running over and around Lobos. Lufkin had a good OL in 2017.  Lufkin fought back and just could not close the deal after a good comeback effort. It was tough, but made myself watch it again, just trying to get the heat out my mind, and think about my favorite time of the year. 

 

That Lobo receiver dropped that ball at the end. Lufkin should’ve won. Ref didn’t have the right angle. Our defensive guy knew. 

[PackAttack]

This terrible heat and football do not mix well. The weather folks are forecasting 106 degrees this Friday and 105 degrees for the opening game with Tyler Legacy.  Those temperatures in themselves are extremely dangerous for players and for fans, whether or not they are use to the heat or not.  Personally, no one is really acclimated to sitting in that type heat for 2-3 hours, unless your sitting in an ice bath.

I'm trying to remember any year in the past 25 or so that the football season began with so much heat.

https://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/tx/lufkin/KTXLUFKI67

  

[PackAttack]

1 hour ago, LufkinPack said:

That Lobo receiver dropped that ball at the end. Lufkin should’ve won. Ref didn’t have the right angle. Our defensive guy knew. 

Well, it was All State Haynes King throwing a shot duck a mile high as he was getting hit,  Perry went up high to catch, but the ball hit the ground, when he hit the ground.  Ref missed it, I  watched replay 5 -6 times, ball came out under his arm as he rolled over.  Still,  Darren Woodsen never never looked back for the ball going to Perry??????  He had no clue.   It's always 2 or 3 plays that make a difference in a big playoff game, Longview just made more that counted. That's 6 years ago, and right now it's only this season that matters for the players preparing to get after it. That loss in 2017 was a huge disappointment as a fan, because we should have won it, just the same way I thought we should have won in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 playoffs, all less than a TD losses, and all under John Outlaw's watch. Well, 2004 and 2005 were disappointing too, but they were super great runs.  It's been frustrating to be a Lufkin Panther football fan since 2005.  The 2012 and 2017 seasons gave us a glimmer of the past, it didn't last. Then 2018 and 2019 seasons happened, back to more playoff demise, and then the last two years.  It all get's to a point as a fan where you shield yourself from any hope and expectations, to avoid the feeling of more disappointments. I feel no different this year.  You can see the great talent we have this year, folks saw the good talent last year too. We all know how well theses kids excelled as freshmen 2 years ago.  You guys tell me how I should feel about expectations.  

[PackAttack]

The 2023 Lufkin Panther OL   (L-R) Daniel Torres, Rico Rose, Matthew Chavez, Jordan Nichols, Tovorian Foreman

 

[LufkinPack]

9 minutes ago, PackAttack said:

The 2023 Lufkin Panther OL

That ain’t gonna get it done 

[PackAttack]

Josh Havard’s email address is josh.havard@lufkindailynews.com.

The Lufkin Panthers have hit the ground running in their preparation for the 2023 season. They are working in full pads with contact with their only scrimmage of the season two days away.

Lufkin head coach Todd Quick has lauded his team’s efforts both throughout the offseason and in the opening days of workouts.

Nothing has changed in their effort as they prepare to scrimmage Huntsville Friday night.

“The kids have been really upbeat,” Quick said. “They’ve been leaning on each other, challenging each other. There isn’t a lot of love lost on the practice field. They’re getting after each other.”

Quick said the team will continue to ramp up its workouts today before preparing for the final pre-scrimmage workout Thursday.

“We’ll turn the volume up,” Quick said. “The kids have handled being in full pads really well. It doesn’t seem like a huge deal to carry a few extra pads, but it’s a mental hurdle. The kids have responded well to it.”

Quick said the team has taken a look at video from last season’s scrimmage in preparation for Friday’s action.

However, the primary focus has remained the same.

“You’ve got guys that look at last year’s tape and realize they weren’t as good as they thought they were,” Quick said. “Then the new guys are getting a look as well.

https://lufkindailynews.com/sports/high_school/lufkin-practices-heating-up/article_af1bc14f-1ce0-5c51-9e1a-83b53ddb438a.html

“This week we’re still focused on us and what we’re doing. There’s going to be a little bit of game planning, but it’s primarily about us.”

Friday’s action, which will be held on John Outlaw Memorial Field at Abe Martin Stadium, will start with the JV and freshman teams scrimmaging on opposite ends of the field at 5 p.m.

The varsity teams will scrimmage at approximately 6:15 p.m. There will be rotations of 10 snaps with the starters and backups rotating action.

There also will be non-contact special teams work before the teams have live two quarters of scrimmage action.

“We’ll go as many reps as we need early on,” Quick said. “We wanted to finish the scrimmage with game-like action.”

Following Friday’s scrimmage, the Panthers will have a third week of preparation before the Aug. 25 season opener against Tyler Legacy.

That game is set for a 7:30 p.m. start.

“Of course that’s the one everyone is looking at,” Quick said. “But just getting to see how the guys react against another opponent Friday is key for us. It’s the next part of the process.”

[PackAttack]

49 minutes ago, LufkinPack said:

That ain’t gonna get it done 

Looks like a center that weighs about 175 lbs.  Lufkin had a really good center back in 1998-2000 that weighed about 175, Eliot New and the Panthers won a ton of games with him at that position.  The center does more than just snap the football. He is sort of the unofficial Captain of the OL,  to identify blitz packages and points out defenders to pick up, and calling out line adjustments and assignments to the rest of the O-line.  Lots of responsibility.

Those are two really big guards on either side, they will be fine and maybe some quickness at the tackles.  DE are many times hybrid LB playing that position in HS, good to match up both size and quickness at OL tackle positions. Not a tall line overall, Nichols is listed at 6'1" and Rosales looks about 6'2".  They will be fine. Ethan Currie is also a big kid who plays OL RT  5'11" 260 .  Will be interested to see the depth the OL has this year.  If they can manage a good 7 or 8 player rotation there they are going to be okay.

 

 

[LufkinPack]

11 minutes ago, PackAttack said:

Looks like a center that weighs about 175 lbs.  Lufkin had a really good center back in 1998-2000 that weighed about 175, Eliot New and the Panthers won a ton of games with him at that position.  The center does more than just snap the football. He is sort of the unofficial Captain of the OL,  to identify blitz packages and points out defenders to pick up, and calling out line adjustments and assignments to the rest of the O-line.  Lots of responsibility.

Those are two really big guards on either side, they will be fine and maybe some quickness at the tackles.  DE are many times hybrid LB playing that position in HS, good to match up both size and quickness at OL tackle positions.

We shall see. There’s no reason to believe the line play will be much better than the last few years if we’re being honest. Unless those kids are just straight dawgs. 

[PurpleNation]

 

[PurpleNation]

3 hours ago, PackAttack said:

The 2023 Lufkin Panther OL   (L-R) Daniel Torres, Adan Rosales, Matthew Chavez, Jordan Nichols, Tovorian Foreman

 

52 has some fight in him. Probably won't matter against a bonafide D1 NT but not to many of those on our schedule. I'm going to wait until after the scrimmage. I heard the offense lit up the defense in yesterday's practice. Menefee has went from FS to OLB so that will be something to watch. 

[PackAttack]

31 minutes ago, PurpleNation said:

52 has some fight in him. Probably won't matter against a bonafide D1 NT but not to many of those on our schedule. I'm going to wait until after the scrimmage. I heard the offense lit up the defense in yesterday's practice. Menefee has went from FS to OLB so that will be something to watch. 

Interesting move for Menefee,  which says more about how much talent exist at the Safety position. Sounds positive to me.

[PackAttack]

2023 Lufkin Panther RBs are going to be GOOD this year.

(L-R) Kedren Young, Bacquari Murphy, DeMarkus Chinn, Coach Gunnar Quick, Gavin Phillips,  ????, Michael Sheppard.

[LufkinPack]

46 minutes ago, PackAttack said:

2023 Lufkin Panther RBs are going to be GOOD this year.

Who is #26? I think that’s 26 

[pack98]

13 minutes ago, LufkinPack said:

Who is #26? I think that’s 26 

Not sure but that’s  DE or LT right there. 
 

The center practices against one of the best DT in the country so I am sure he is getting important reps. 

[pack98]

4 hours ago, PackAttack said:

Looks like a center that weighs about 175 lbs.  Lufkin had a really good center back in 1998-2000 that weighed about 175, Eliot New and the Panthers won a ton of games with him at that position.  The center does more than just snap the football. He is sort of the unofficial Captain of the OL,  to identify blitz packages and points out defenders to pick up, and calling out line adjustments and assignments to the rest of the O-line.  Lots of responsibility.

Those are two really big guards on either side, they will be fine and maybe some quickness at the tackles.  DE are many times hybrid LB playing that position in HS, good to match up both size and quickness at OL tackle positions. Not a tall line overall, Nichols is listed at 6'1" and Rosales looks about 6'2".  They will be fine. Ethan Currie is also a big kid who plays OL RT  5'11" 260 .  Will be interested to see the depth the OL has this year.  If they can manage a good 7 or 8 player rotation there they are going to be okay.

 

 

The center in 1998-1999 was NFL veteran 6-5 Mulbach. 
we had C- Muhl (NFL), G-Rex(NFL)G-McCoy  T- Ferguson T- Thompson sometimes Rex may have played tackle. 

[timeout!]

32 minutes ago, LufkinPack said:

Who is #26? I think that’s 26 

Gavin Phillips

[PackAttack]

33 minutes ago, pack98 said:

Not sure but that’s  DE or LT right there. 
 

The center practices against one of the best DT in the country so I am sure he is getting important reps. 

#26 Gavin Phillips is the H-Back in this years Panther offense starting with Kedren Young.  Phillips was the Freshman QB two years ago. He played QB against Lancaster last season after Hammond was injured. 

[pack98]

I think in college he will play Defense just me looking at him and his size. I could be wrong. Going to be interesting. 

[PackAttack]

OLBs -  #7 Menefee, #43 Jordan Booker, #22 Amari White, #16 Keithan Davis, #98 Desmond Hood or #58 Elijah Menefee

 

[Jack Walker]

57 minutes ago, PackAttack said:

LUFKIN OLBs - #7 Menefee, #43 Jordan Booker, #22 Amari White, #16 Keithan Davis,  #98 Desmond Hood, #58 Elijah Menefee

 

#22 is Jacoriance White, 58 is little Menefee, #16 is returning starter Keithan Davis and #98 is sophomore Desmond Hood

[Jack Walker]

7 hours ago, PackAttack said:

The 2023 Lufkin Panther OL   (L-R) Daniel Torres, Rico Rose, Matthew Chavez, Jordan Nichols, Tovorian Foreman

 

#72 is Rico Rose