Panthers open home schedule looking to turn things around

The first two weeks of the season have been tough for the Berwick Panthers as they are winless and have had to battle injuries and inexperience.
However, with the squad back home for homecoming and facing Varnado, the squad has the ideal situation to turn their season around.
They will get the opportunity to do so Friday night in a 7 p.m. contest.
“We hope that’s going to happen,” Brodie said. “We did have a rough time. … Some of the starters being out and playing some young kids last week, but we’ve done that both weeks. We thought our offensive line was going to be one of our strong points with four senior returners and hadn’t had them all together at one time playing the position that they normally play in, but hats off to them, credit to them. They’ve taken it well and done everything we’ve asked them to do.”
A week ago in a 58-21 loss to Abbeville, Berwick started five freshmen, including two on the offensive line. Brodie said it is a struggle for freshmen to handle playing on the offensive line, but they did a great job and freshman quarterback Mitchell Sanford did a good job filling in, too.
“It’s just been kind of a bad situation,” Brodie said. “We’ve played two really good, very physical teams. Abbeville and Morgan City, both 4A teams, and we just have to worry about getting ourselves better.”
In last week’s loss, Sanford made his first career start and completed 7 of 25 passes for 126 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
This season, he has completed 15 of 49 passes for 229 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Audwin Williams led the Panthers receiving game with six passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns last week. This season he has caught seven passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns.
A week ago, Logan Angeron also returned a kickoff of 84 yards for a touchdown.
As for Varnado, the Class 1A squad comes into Friday’s game after defeating Pine 39-17 a week ago.
In the win, quarterback D.J. Jefferson threw for 252 yards with three touchdowns, according to The Bogalusa Daily News.
Brodie said Varnado (2-0) is similar to Abbeville.
“They’ll run some power and sweeps and similar formations,” he said. “They’ll get (in some) double slot, they’ll get some Wing T stuff, so we’ve been seeing every week about the same type of offense.”
He said his team is familiar with what they will be facing from that standpoint.
Varnado also has the threat of the passing game, too.
“They throw the ball down the field well,” Brodie said.
Brodie said Varnado wide receiver Delrick Abrams reminds him of Berwick’s Audwin Williams.
Another Varnado player, Armontee Kemp, had 126 yards receiving in the win a week ago, The Bogalusa Daily News reported.
“They have some good athletes, so we got our hands full with them,” Brodie said. “We need to be able to make some big plays and put some pressure on their quarterback, and just regular things you always prepare for every week.”
Defensively, Brodie said Varnado is multiple. He said they will put five on the line of scrimmage and one linebacker at times with man coverage behind that or at other times, they will play a 4-2-5 look.
“We’re hoping that’s what they base out of mostly against us based on the formations,” Brodie said of the 4-2-5 scheme.
While this week has plenty of extracurricular activities because of homecoming, Brodie said he doesn’t mind his players participating, as long as they do not get into any mischief.
“I just ask ‘em when they’re with me to concentrate and do what I ask them to do and forget about everything else, and then when they’re not with me, go have fun with your classmates … I think it’s important,” he said. “You only get one chance to participate in homecoming.”