by Geoff Fox
The Hancock Panthers football team fell to 0-7 on the season as the Stonewall Jackson Generals rode out of town with a 20-8 victory.
The game was the Panthers’ second home game of the year.
Before the game started, the school presented the homecoming court and homecoming king and queen.
The players also locked arms and thanked their parents, friends, and community for their support during the season.
The game started off as a back and forth contest hampered by penalties that had the first quarter end scoreless.
In the second quarter, a punt return set up the Generals’ first touchdown of the game and a screen pass that went for over 50 yards scored their second of the half.
Hancock trailed 12-0 at the half. The Generals would add another score in the second half.
“You take those two plays away, we possibly could be going in to halftime 0-0,” Head Coach Greg Cartrette said.
Hancock scored on their last drive of the game to give the 20-8 final score.
Cartrette said the game was indicative of the players by the team playing their hearts out.
“They kept playing and they wouldn’t quit,” he said.
There were times during the game where the players allowed the Generals to get under their skin and into the heads, but the Panthers gave it everything they had.
Cartrette said the norm for the team has become no matter if it’s win or lose, “we’re going to fight you, we’re going to give you everything we’ve got, and we’re going to leave it on the field.”
“That’s becoming the Hancock way, which is one of the things that I really want to be a part of us is no matter what the score is on the scoreboard, we’re going to come after you and we’re going to come to play,” he said.
The penalties in the first quarter did hurt the team “drastically,” the coach said, from doing what the team could have done but mistakes and penalties hindered the Panthers.
Injuries also hit the Panthers in the second half as only 10 players were left on the field when the final horn sounded.
Players kept playing, which to Cartrette shows dedication, but he said he has to rein that in.
“There’s a difference in playing hurt and playing injured,” he said.
There were injuries to knees, ribs, and feet, Cartrette said.
The referees pointed out to Cartrette there were only 10 players instead of the usual 11 on the field.
Cartrette said he told the officials he had no one to put in as even the freshman were in the game.
One positive from the game was junior quarterback Logan Hendershot who passed for a season high 84 yards and rushed for another 60.
There were two “really good drives” in the second half, Cartrette said, including one that got stalled. The Panthers scored on their final possession.
“The passing game is something he can do if we had blocking,” Cartrette said. “An the more we do it, the more comfortable he’s going to get.”
The plays are there and the more Hendershot gets into and gets more confidence, the better he’ll be.
Cartrette said Hendershot has progressed from where he was this summer to his performance Friday night.
“It’s real impressive of where he is and what he can become,” the coach said.
The Panthers have the next two weeks off, so injuries can heal and players can take a break from games for a weekend.
Practices are still going to be going on, light this week and then full pads next week.
Film study began on Monday with normal full padded practice on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are to be off days.
Next week, he said, will be a return to practice with full pads and getting back to basics.
Cartrette said he’s going to be traveling to Clear Spring this week and next to watch and get an idea of what the Blazers will bring to Paul Imphong Field on October 31.
