The Pana Panthers enter the 2026 football season with plenty of confidence after putting together a 9-2 record a year ago.
But with 12 seniors gone from last season’s team, the Panthers know they will have to rely on a new group of players to step into bigger roles.
Head coach Mark Ramsey has kept the message simple throughout the offseason: hard work.
Ramsey said the Panthers have already seen players step up as they prepare for the season, with the team continuing to build confidence in the system.
Senior Colton Stark said the Panthers have been putting in the work since December as they prepare for their Week 1 matchup against Hillsboro.
“We’ve been doing this since December,” Stark said. “It’s a long time. But our main word is just hard work, grit, and motivation.”
Stark also believes the Panthers can be even better this season if everyone fully buys into the team’s system. He said the defense is already looking better than it did a year ago, while the offense has been clicking earlier in the preseason.
That buy-in has also been a major focus for senior Cayden Durbin.
Durbin said the coaching staff’s message about buying in means believing in the system, learning what is expected and trusting that it will work.
The Panthers believe they have the athleticism to make that system work.
“We just got a lot of athletes,” Durbin said. “I really do think we got athletes all around, offense, defense, and we just got to learn how to use them.”
Senior Eian Vaughn said the younger players have embraced their opportunities following the departure of last year’s seniors. Vaughn emphasized the importance of working hard every day and taking the season one week at a time.
The Panthers aren’t looking too far ahead. Their goal is to win every game, but they understand the importance of focusing on the opponent directly in front of them.
Offensively, the Panthers will continue to rely on their athleticism and ability to get playmakers into space. The coaching staff also stresses the mental side of the game, including film study and understanding what opponents are trying to do.
Defensively, Ramsey expects the Panthers to be better prepared early in the season as players become more comfortable within the system.
And while the roster may look different, the expectations haven’t changed.
Painted Panther football is looking to play with speed, physicality and confidence when Hillsboro arrives for Week 1.
After a 9-2 season, the Panthers are ready to see what this new group can accomplish.
The work is done. Now it’s time to play.
