By Owen Berk
Panther’s Tale
The 2016 Derby Panthers have a unique opportunity to become the third school to win their third Kansas Class 6A State football title in four years. Only two other schools have accomplished this in the last 20 years — Hutchinson and Olathe North.
However, Derby faces a couple of new challenges this year. Derby is scheduled to play Goddard Eisenhower and Bishop Carroll. These two opponents are teams that this group of Derby High players have not yet faced.
Senior Quarterback Dan Dawdy expressed that the team needs to always be ready, “We need to make sure we don’t settle, always stay hungry.” Another challenge this team will face is to not get complacent and think that just because they won the state title last year means that they will take it home again this year.
The challenges that lay ahead for this team don’t seem to be a problem early on.
Even with multiple websites, including catchitkansas.com and varsitykansas.com, ranking Derby’s football team at number one in Class 6A before week one, the pressure doesn’t seem to be affecting the players’ mindsets. Derby is anchored by multiple D1 and D2 prospects including senior wide receiver Kenyon Tabor, who verbally committed to the University of Kansas over the summer.
Tabor, with college ball in mind, is still focused and excited about his senior season here at Derby.
“My favorite part about playing here is the community that surrounds us, they’re amazing with the support they show us,” Tabor said.
Community is a big part of Derby’s program and the team this year has really become one, according to senior defensive lineman Riley Cain.
“The one thing that’s really caught my attention about this year is the chemistry we have so early on. We’re already clicking so well as a team, it’s crazy. When a team has good chemistry, everything flows so well. And we play for one another. That makes us play even harder than we would if we were a team of individuals. The team clicking so well before the first game could be a good sign of things to come,” Cain said.
