After 14 years, Greenbrier returns to playoffs

By Julie Storing, Demetrice Elmore and Amanda Smallwood
UCA sportswriting

After a 14-year drought, the Greenbrier Panthers are finally returning to the state playoffs tonight, when they'll face the Little Rock Comets at Don Jones Stadium on Friday.

Greenbrier finished the regular season 7-3 overall, nabbing the No. 2 seed from the 5A-West conference. Mills finished 6-4 overall and is the third seed from the 5A-Southeast.

Greenbrier coach Randy Tribble, in his second year at the school, said the Panthers were excited to accomplish things no Greenbrier team has in 14 years, but they won't rest on that.

“I am very proud of the dedication, commitment, and desire these guys have displayed, which has allowed them to accomplish what they have,” Tribble said. “We want to keep winning and keep playing.”

Mills, too, failed to make the state playoffs last season.

According to maxpreps.com, Greenbrier is ranked 47th in the state while Mills is ranked 67th.

The Panthers are averaging 31.8 points a game while keeping the opponents to 26.2. The rushing average this season is 149.5 yards per game, but their advantage on the field is their passing yardage, where they average 237.3 a game.

The team has struggled to stay away from getting penalties throughout the season, but the Panthers are playing smart and only averaging 52.4 lost yards. Standout sophomore quarterback Neil Burcham's accuracy in passing has been a major advantage for the Panthers. He only threw three interceptions all season.

Burcham threw 274 passes this season while completing 177 for 2,353 yards with 23 touchdowns. Burcham is averaging 235.3 completed passing yards this season. As he controls the tempo of the game, anyone can be sure he is going to find junior Hunter Winston.

Winston has had an explosive season and is destined to do more. He tied the school’s record for most touchdowns in a single game and has continued to lead his team in rushing yards all season. After attempting 166 rushes and gaining 1,378 yards for 19 touchdowns, it’s easy to say the Panthers are hard to control. Winston is averaging 8.2 rushing yards a play and 135.5 a game.

Another notable mention is receiver Tyler Hardee with 640 receiving yards (average of 22.1 per game). Tally Colt is the Panthers' leading defensive lineman with 82 tackles for the season.

Tribble said he knew the Comets had some big wins over good teams this year and that their quarterback was very quick and loved to run the ball.

“Mills has a lot of speed on offense, and they are strong on their defensive line,” he said. “We have to be disciplined to stop them. We will have to work hard to be successful.”

Even though Mills has shown weaknesses during its home games, the Comets have dominated 5-1 in away games.

Greenbrier’s only loss at home this season was to Heber Springs in a non-conference game early in the season.

Tribble says playing on their home field is an advantage the Panthers are proud to have.

“It was a big goal of the team and when it became a realistic goal, we wanted to reward our fans and community with a home game in the playoffs,” he said. “Our players love playing at home.”

According to maxpreps.com, the top players for Mills include senior fullback Rico Perkins, senior offensive lineman Anthony Bizzell and senior wide receiver Patrick Johnny.

The Panthers are preparing for the game by trying to stay close to the same routine and practice schedule. They start the week by watching film and showing the team the opponent’s defensive and offensive systems and formations. The team then begins to work on the fundamentals coaches think are the most important and then works against the opposing schemes and plays to be familiar with them before the game.

The team that wins this game will play either Forrest City, the No. 1 seed from 5A-East, or Little Rock Christian, the No. 4 seed from 5A-Southwest.