#8 PATTON

You probably thought I'd pick them to finish last in the CVAC this season, didn't you? Well, surprise, surprise, surprise! I am prepared to go out on a limb and predict that the Panthers will get a couple of league wins under their belt during this, their first-ever varsity season of football. All eyes will be watching to see which team gets to become the answer to a trivia question: Patton got its very first league win against...whom?

AT A GLANCE

2007 Record: N/A

Coach: J.K. Adkins
Career: 13-13 (2 years)

Returning Starters: N/A

Primary Strengths: Cohesiveness due to not losing anybody from last year. Familiarity with the offensive and defensive schemes. The running game could be decent, depending on how well the line develops. Element of surprise?

Potential Problems: A complete lack of experience on the varsity level. Depth issues on both sides of the ball. They will have to rely heavily on the 8-quarter rule which allows JV players to suit up on varsity in order to provide depth. The intended starting quarterback, Cody Storie, was injured in the pre-season. Relying on underclassmen, even for established programs, is usually problematic.

Key Losses: N/A

Overview: I really have no concrete reason for picking the Panthers to finish in 8th place this season. I just have a feeling that they will find a way to upset a couple of opponents who, ironically enough, are not in much better shape in terms of varsity experience. The Patton faithful have already proven that they are diehard. I have said before that I think Patton will turn out to be the St. Stephens of Morganton: they try hard and are relentless but just can't quite get over the hump most of the time. Maybe I'm just fascinated by the idea that "beginner's luck" could actually exist and might even play a part in Patton's first varsity season. On the negative side... Because of the way Patton handled the decision to not play a varsity schedule in 2007 there are several CVAC teams thirsting for some payback for all the chaos Patton created. So look for some lopsided scores in the coming months. But I still say the Panthers ruin somebody's evening. You heard it here first!