By JIM MISUNAS
jmiaunas@gbtribune.com
It might be a good week for Great Bend’s defense to rebound after yielding back-to-back 300-yard ground games against Wichita Northwest and Dodge City.
The Panthers (4-0) plays Wichita West (0-4) at Wichita South Friday night.
Wichita West features back Kesean DeShazier with 247 yards and Quantrell Royal with 159 yards. DeShazier gained 157 yards with two scores in a 57-24 loss to Wichita Northwest. QB Zion Parks threw for 165 yards and WR Abonjah Metcalf has seven catches for 187 yards.
The Panthers are yielding 373 yards per game, but has delivered key second-half defensive plays.
WLB Payton Mauler averages 14.5 tackles and assists per game. MLM Jensen Randall averages nine tackles and FS Braulio Vargas has two fumble recoveries.
“We’ve faced some pretty good football players the past two weeks and enjoyed fun games, but our guys understand we have to get better each week,” said Great Bend coach Erin Beck. “This is a good time to re-emphasize fundamentals and figure out how to get better each day in practice.”
The Panthers have adjusted defensively after halftime after yielding big plays the past three weeks. Beck wants to see better urgency and execution from the outset.
“It’s a combination of factors. We see things that we adjust at halftime,” he said. “But a lot of that is mental. It seems like it takes time for us to wake up defensively. Our defense has to figure how to play better earlier in the game.”
Beck said the Panthers must continue to play better football on both sides of the football.
“We know there will be better football teams down the road,” he said.
PANTHER DEFENSE
DE—Pablo Martinez
DE—Eric Vazquez
NG—Dominque Rideaux
SLB—Jensen Randall
WLB—Payton Mauler
MLB—Brock Blessing or Blake Penka
OLB—Mason YellowWolf
OLB—Max Jerke
CB—Nick Reed
CB—Bryce Lytle
FS—Braulio Vargas
High School Football
Great Bend vs. Wichita West
Friday, 7 p.m.
Wichita South Carpenter Stadium
701 W 33rd St S, Wichita KS 67217
STANDINGS
Great Bend 2-0 4-0
Garden City 1-0 4-0
Liberal 1-0 3-1
Dodge City 0-1 2-2
Hays High 0-3 1-3
Friday’s games
Wichita South at Dodge City
Liberal at Garden City
Great Bend vs. Wichita West