These Panthers are laying their ears back and relentlessly flying to the football from all angles in an attempt to get to the opposing team’s quarterback.
Armed with an ever-growing blitz package, Great Bend High School (2-1) heads to Wichita North (0-3) for non-conference action tonight at 7. It comes before getting into the meat of their Western Athletic Conference slate next Friday night, starting with the Panthers’ Homecoming game against Dodge City.
“It’s almost all blitz package,” Great Bend head coach Bo Black said of their attacking schemes. “We’re coming from somewhere every time and playing aggressive.”
The Panthers parlayed a stellar all-around effort into a 28-25 victory over Garden City last Friday night in their road and WAC opener. No area shone more brightly than the play of Great Bend’s defense, which neutralized Buffaloes standout quarterback Greyson Tempel, especially when it mattered most, surviving a Garden rush after they built a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
And, to top it all off, Great Bend defensive Ty Yager rose in the air, along with a den of Panthers and a herd of Buffaloes, and batted down Tempel’s end-zone pass on the final play of the game to preserve the win.
Credit first-year GBHS defensive coordinator Tony Crough for implementing a 3-3 Stack formation for the blitzing ways.
“I think he brings a youthful enthusiasm to the defensive side of the ball and the kids respond very well to him, buying into it,” Black said of Crowl, who grew up and graduated from none other than Garden City High before heading to Fort Hays State University and then on to the coaching ranks at De Soto (Texas) High School. “They’re playing fast, wanting to make plays and playing aggressively.
“It’s a real different defense. We’re blitzing every down and coming after people. Our kids have bought into that and have had fun playing it. It’s been kind of fun to watch and it’s a different philosophy. We feel happy to have (Crough).”
No question, it’s a high-risk defense.
   “It’s kind of a gambling defense,” Black said. “You’re either going to make really big plays at times, and you’re going to get burnt a times.”
Don’t be misled by Wichita North’s winless ways. The Redskins, who play a tough Wichita City League schedule, have some athletes in the same hallways where National Football League Hall-of-Fame running back Barry Sanders graduated from in 1985, long before he set out on NFL immortality.
Not to say the Redskins have anything bearing a resemblance of Sanders these days.
Still ...
“How do you get your team prepared?” Black asked. “You just turn on the film and show the athletes that they have playing and show them what they’re capable of doing. They have a lot of speed and a lot of size on both sides of the ball, but they just haven’t put it together yet.
“They have, to this point, played three of the better City League schools in losing to Bishop Carroll (49-0), Wichita East (33-7) and Wichita Kapaun-Mt. Carmel (45-7) in succession.