It may be an understatement to say the Panthers stumbled out of the gate to begin last season. Ole Brook suffered losses in each of their first six games of their 2015 season. However, that mark can be rather misleading.

Of those six losses, four of those teams were playoff teams, two were fringe playoff teams and one — Wayne County — was the eventual 5A State champion. Lawrence County, another opponent during that grueling stretch, went on to the 4A South State Championship game.

That opening schedule would cause even the best of teams in the daunting 5A South to cringe. For head coach Tommy Clopton and a young, inexperienced Panther team plagued by injuries, it proved devastating.

The Panther faithful can find optimism in the fact that their team kept the majority of those initial losses competitive until the final buzzer. In fact, the combined margin of defeat for those first six games was just over 15 points and four were by 10 points or less.

“We were a couple of plays away from being 3-2 and not 0-5,” Clopton said of his team’s tough start.

But Clopton is not one to make excuses. He prefers to make improvements. Though he acknowledges their schedule was grueling and their district is one of the most competitive in 5A football, he knows what expectations are and will always be in Brookhaven.

“Expectations are always high in Ole Brook. We are going to be expected to win football games,” he said.
“This year all those guys that were young last year are a year older, so I expect them to step up to help us win games.”

Clopton said he expects about 64 players to suit up for the Panthers this year. His team returns 11 starters (5 offense, 6 defense) total from last year’s playoff squad.
The Panthers plan to run multiple sets on offense and a 50 front on defense.

After seeing significant playing time in his freshman year, quarterback Sevante Quinn returns a year wiser and more developed, Clopton said.

“Sevante has worked very hard this offseason,” he said. “He knows he is our leader and we will look to him to take control of the offense.”

Quinn completed 36 percent of his passes for 521 yards and three touchdowns last season. Senior Kenneth Dixon will carry the load out of the backfield. The offensive line and wide receiver units could be the most inexperienced for the Brookhaven offense.

Trace Clopton and Kiren Williams will bolster the Panthers’ offensive line. Williams will see less playing time on the offensive side of the ball as he transitions into a bigger role on the defensive line.

Senior wide receiver Zarian Harper brings experience to a young receiving corps headed by sophomore John Hilbert.
Sophomore linebacker Wesley Calcote headlines the Panthers’ defensive unit. Calcote led the team with 75 tackles last year. He also had a sack and an interception.

Senior linebacker Deion Williams (28 tackles) also returns at linebacker.
Ole Brook’s defensive line is led by 6-foot-3, 321-pound nose guard Jeffrey Johnson (40 tackles, two  sacks and a safety), and Williams.

The defensive back unit, led by seniors Tra Newton and Kenneth Bellamy, will be the defense’s most experienced group. Coach Clopton also said he expects big contributions from junior cornerback Jemaurian Jones.

Apart from flipping the home and away games from last season the Panthers’ schedule remains the same. The Panthers will kick off the season Aug. 19 in the KDMC Classic at Co-Lin, where they will face Franklin County.