Countdown to Kickoff: Panhandle Panthers

PANHANDLE, Texas (KFDA) - Last year, the Panhandle Panthers picked up their 10th straight season without a losing record.

That streak began when they hired Dane Ashley as the head coach. Now in year #11, it’s the first time he hasn’t had any underclassmen on the varsity team, making it the most experienced Panther squad in over a decade.

“The thing about it is you’re not teaching exactly what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re just getting better at the details,” Ashley said. “They’ve been doing it for two years.”

They’re led by senior quarterback Broxton Robinson, who, in his two years as a starter, has already led the Panthers to their first back-to-back 10-win seasons since 1989-1990, and he’s only getting better.

“My sophomore year, I really couldn’t throw it,” Robinson said. “I feel like I’ve really been able to see the field now and know what’s gonna happen in certain situations.”

The toughest teams say you win the game at the line of scrimmage, and Panhandle is no different.

“Without the whole line, you can’t move the ball,” senior lineman Gavan Brookshire said. “I almost feel like you, kind of, lead the whole team. Without you, they really don’t have much.”

Even with all the experience, Coach Ashley is still preparing his guys for anything.

“You want to be in games, I think in the first five, where you fail a little bit,” Ashley said. “I mean, how are you gonna learn about yourself if you don’t have some mistakes, go through some hard times, go through some failures? That’s how we really self-evaluate, so we’re excited about the challenge.”

Panhandle football schedule

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