Stock Photo by Jamie Swank
After earning a co-region championship last year, the Panthers have their sights set on raising the bar with its young but mighty team. Cole Barton is the team’s lone senior starter, but young talent will help the team find success this year.
Sophomores Brody Howell, Joey Howell, Dominick Vigil and Riley Davis will be returning to the starting lineup this season. Meanwhile, head coach Ray Jones said that Jaxon Cranford, Diego Contreras and Gavone Larsen are all showing great promise.
“I am excited for what these young men will do and achieve, and I am very proud of them and honored to get to coach them,” said Jones, who is entering his fourth year of coaching the team.
The Panthers have already been preparing for busy season with an emphasis on skill development and athleticism. “Our goal is to raise the bar and compete at our highest level day in and day out,” Jones said.
Going into region play, Pinnacle expects Green River to once again be a tough competitor. The cross-county rivalry always provides a charged atmosphere, but the Pirates also have returning talent on their side. “They have a lot of returning starters and always play so hard,” said Jones.
At the end of the day, Jones hopes the athletes will show up each day and put forth their best effort, and have fun while doing it.