The true start to Perry’s season

Though the Perry Panthers are winless (0-3) the season is far from over. In actuality, if you look at which games matter most, the season begins this Friday against Rutland (1-2), their first region opponent on the schedule. Perry dropped their game to Veterans 24-14 after returning from a COVID-19 related suspension. It was the first game Perry had their full team and Head Coach Kevin Smith saw his team start to turn it around. Though he was still hurt about the loss, Perry’s defense held in it with the No. 5 team in Class 5A and the offense is grasping their niche.

Running back, Makeil Kendrick, had a productive day last week against Veterasn with 11 yards rushing with a touchdown. Smith has focused the offense on running the ball and Kendrick is a reliable threat for the Panthers. But what makes Perry dangerous is pairing Kendrick’s production with the rest of the offense. Smith noticed quarterback Lane Rucker had one of his better games last week and we could see the offense make a big turn this week against Rutland.

On defense, Perry has a direct assignment, and that’s shutting down Rutland’s running back, Jessie Phelps Jr., who averages 291 rushing yards per game on 10.5 yard per carry and has hit the end zone nine times. He’s just about all Rutland has on offense. The quarterback has thrown the ball just 31 times over three games and has four interceptions. Smith has had high praise for his secondary this season and an opportunity may arise for them to capitalize on if Rutland tries to throw too often.

This game actually carries weight when determining on who makes the playoffs, so this marks the true beginning to Perry’s season. The game is at home and kickoff is Friday, Oct. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

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