Panthers in Brief

Lakeside Panthers

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Head coach: Jody Grooms (first season)

2006 record: 2-8

2006 highlight: A 12-10 win over Richmond Academy on Sept. 22 gave Lakeside its only region win of the season. Tailback Patrick Tynan scored the Panthers' only touchdown of the game, and the two teams entered the fourth quarter in a 10-10 tie. A quarterback sack in the end zone by Jermel Bennett and Kyle Tau early in the fourth quarter gave the Panthers two points for a safety and the win.

Last trip to postseason: 1999

Breakout season: Junior Kyle Tudor is back in the secondary with more experience and strength this year. The starting free safety has plenty of potential and, with 10 games of varsity experience entering his junior year, he's smarter than your average 11th-grader.

Player to watch: There are actually a trio of players to watch. Chad Chandler, Will Evans and Justin Pitock are three Panthers competing for the starting quarterback job. Chandler, a junior, has the most experience after starting most of the Lakeside games last year. Evans is one of the top all-around athletes on the team and could play almost anywhere. Pitock, only a sophomore, is the key to Lakeside's quarterback future.

Strength: The same thing that hurt Lakeside last year will help them in 2007. The Panthers of a year ago were the youngest team in the county with several sophomores starting. Now a year older, that same crew is back. No team in the county has as many returning starters as Lakeside.

Weakness: A new head coach and new offensive system won't bring success overnight. Patience is the key for Panther fans. Don't expect all the football problems to be solved immediately (especially with a schedule that includes road trips to Evans, Greenbrier and three of last year's four state playoff teams from Region 3-AAAA).