Football Feature: Miami Trace Panthers
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
On the practice jerseys of the '12 Miami Trace Panthers, it states "Rebuilding Tradition" wrapped around a football that says "Miami Trace." Rebuilding tradition is the goal of the senior class of the Panthers this season, as five randomly selected Panther seniors spoke about not only their goals and love for the game of football, but how they want to put Miami Trace football back on the map, starting with the 2012 season.
The MT tradition dates back to the 1970s through the early 2000s as the Panthers have won the South Central Ohio League championship 20 times, with their last title coming in the '07 season, as they shared with Clinton-Massie and Washington.
The Panther seniors of '12 want to be a part of that group or at least the group that helped lay the foundation for the future Miami Trace teams who will have the opportunity to suit up for the program.
To be a part of the current MT squad, each player had their own beginnings in the sport, with players beginning in the Fayette County Pony League, in the backyard or in other youth leagues.
[[In-content Ad]]"I started in second grade. My brother played, and my parents signed me up to play too," offensive guard/defensive tackle Derek Muncy said. "I played in South Charleston, and after I started playing, I started to like it."
MT running back Conner Dement said he began playing football in the backyard, eventually playing in the Pony League for the Longhorns. Teammate Austin Flerchinger also played in the Pony Leagues for the Longhorns, while Austin Schoellkopf began playing football in the sixth grade. Preston Dunn was a member of the Colts when he played in the Pony League but also said he got his start in football at recess in elementary school and playing backyard football.
Now, those five seniors, along with the other 10 MT seniors, want to greatly help bring the Panthers back to the tradition they grew up with as kids and are willing to put in the work to do so.
"After a while, I just start to enjoying all the work with football," Muncy said. "I enjoy the heat during two-a-days, the hitting, everything. In the end, I just like hitting people because it's fun. There is no other sport you can do this type of stuff in."
"Just going through all the practice, having everyone cheering for you on Friday night … the surroundings … all of the hard work we put in makes it worth it for those moments," Flerchinger said. "The whole leadership thing has been the biggest difference so far. We have more responsibility as seniors, getting the others to play harder so we don't slack off any so we can become a better team."
"Pretty much I put in the work to play on Friday night, and to get that experience, because no other sport offers that atmosphere," Schoellkopf said. "We've been working since our freshman year for this season, so it's time to step up to be a leader and take on more responsibility. All of that makes you become a better person.
"I want to keep pushing everybody else and myself to make our team better as we go on."
Other teammates agreed with the two receivers, Schoellkopf and Flerchinger.
"Being under the lights, playing football on Friday nights, makes you feel good because you can't do it very long," Dunn said. "Once you become a senior, I just figure you have so much more on your back. It's time to just step up and become a leader. You have be a leader by example."
"There is really no better feeling than having a Friday night win and celebrating after the game with your teammates," Dement said. "Being a senior, I just want to make sure I go all out and have no regrets. I want to leave it all out on the field. I just want to lead by example … showing my teammates the good things to do and how to do everything right."
Muncy spoke about the senior year coming down to their final 10 games of their high school football lives.
"This is it," he said. "All four years for 10 games. We've been working since our freshman year for this one moment. The difference is you get to go a little harder because you know, this is it."
The Panthers seniors, knowing this is their final season, want to achieve success on the field this year as well, making their goals high, and are willing to put in the extra effort to go after the goals they've set for themselves.
"The main goal every year is winning the league and making the playoffs," Muncy said. "That's why we play, to play for that type of success."
"I mean, we have a really athletic class and the class behind us is too, so our goal is to win the league and make the playoffs," Flerchinger said.
"We're working towards league champs and making the playoffs … it's been a while for us, and that would be a great step for our program," Schoellkopf said.
"We've worked hard this offseason, so everyone is fighting for that playoff spot," Dement said.
Getting that goal means the Panthers will need leadership, as the seniors continued to talk about what they feel a great leader is.
"If somebody does something bad, you just want to show them it's all right, and let them know they can do it right the next time," Schoellkopf said. "That's a good leader."
"Sometimes you have to get a little bit vocal, but other than that, you just have to help the ones who need it the most to make them better," Muncy said.
continued from Page 25
As their final season is on the brink of beginning, each player thought and spoke about what their favorite memory of football was.
"My first Friday night game, I started against Tecumseh my sophomore year … I'll never forget that," Muncy said. "I've always been pretty big, but the biggest difference was you are used to playing kids who don't know how to hit when you are the biggest kid on the team. When I got to varsity, I couldn't overpower everyone and had to use fundamentals and be smarter than the opponent."
The others mentioned what stood out to them as a top moment.
"My first varsity touchdown against Logan Elm was memorable, along with any win against Court House," Dement said.
"My first catch on a Friday night came against Court House, so that was memorable," Dunn said.
"My freshman year we went undefeated, so that was memorable," Schoellkopf said. "My sophomore year, stepping up to play varsity receiver, that ranks up near the top too."
"My freshman year when I made my first touchdown against Westfall," Flerchinger said. "I actually didn't think I scored."
Miami Trace opens the season on Friday, Aug. 24 against Circleville.
The MT tradition dates back to the 1970s through the early 2000s as the Panthers have won the South Central Ohio League championship 20 times, with their last title coming in the '07 season, as they shared with Clinton-Massie and Washington.
The Panther seniors of '12 want to be a part of that group or at least the group that helped lay the foundation for the future Miami Trace teams who will have the opportunity to suit up for the program.
To be a part of the current MT squad, each player had their own beginnings in the sport, with players beginning in the Fayette County Pony League, in the backyard or in other youth leagues.
[[In-content Ad]]"I started in second grade. My brother played, and my parents signed me up to play too," offensive guard/defensive tackle Derek Muncy said. "I played in South Charleston, and after I started playing, I started to like it."
MT running back Conner Dement said he began playing football in the backyard, eventually playing in the Pony League for the Longhorns. Teammate Austin Flerchinger also played in the Pony Leagues for the Longhorns, while Austin Schoellkopf began playing football in the sixth grade. Preston Dunn was a member of the Colts when he played in the Pony League but also said he got his start in football at recess in elementary school and playing backyard football.
Now, those five seniors, along with the other 10 MT seniors, want to greatly help bring the Panthers back to the tradition they grew up with as kids and are willing to put in the work to do so.
"After a while, I just start to enjoying all the work with football," Muncy said. "I enjoy the heat during two-a-days, the hitting, everything. In the end, I just like hitting people because it's fun. There is no other sport you can do this type of stuff in."
"Just going through all the practice, having everyone cheering for you on Friday night … the surroundings … all of the hard work we put in makes it worth it for those moments," Flerchinger said. "The whole leadership thing has been the biggest difference so far. We have more responsibility as seniors, getting the others to play harder so we don't slack off any so we can become a better team."
"Pretty much I put in the work to play on Friday night, and to get that experience, because no other sport offers that atmosphere," Schoellkopf said. "We've been working since our freshman year for this season, so it's time to step up to be a leader and take on more responsibility. All of that makes you become a better person.
"I want to keep pushing everybody else and myself to make our team better as we go on."
Other teammates agreed with the two receivers, Schoellkopf and Flerchinger.
"Being under the lights, playing football on Friday nights, makes you feel good because you can't do it very long," Dunn said. "Once you become a senior, I just figure you have so much more on your back. It's time to just step up and become a leader. You have be a leader by example."
"There is really no better feeling than having a Friday night win and celebrating after the game with your teammates," Dement said. "Being a senior, I just want to make sure I go all out and have no regrets. I want to leave it all out on the field. I just want to lead by example … showing my teammates the good things to do and how to do everything right."
Muncy spoke about the senior year coming down to their final 10 games of their high school football lives.
"This is it," he said. "All four years for 10 games. We've been working since our freshman year for this one moment. The difference is you get to go a little harder because you know, this is it."
The Panthers seniors, knowing this is their final season, want to achieve success on the field this year as well, making their goals high, and are willing to put in the extra effort to go after the goals they've set for themselves.
"The main goal every year is winning the league and making the playoffs," Muncy said. "That's why we play, to play for that type of success."
"I mean, we have a really athletic class and the class behind us is too, so our goal is to win the league and make the playoffs," Flerchinger said.
"We're working towards league champs and making the playoffs … it's been a while for us, and that would be a great step for our program," Schoellkopf said.
"We've worked hard this offseason, so everyone is fighting for that playoff spot," Dement said.
Getting that goal means the Panthers will need leadership, as the seniors continued to talk about what they feel a great leader is.
"If somebody does something bad, you just want to show them it's all right, and let them know they can do it right the next time," Schoellkopf said. "That's a good leader."
"Sometimes you have to get a little bit vocal, but other than that, you just have to help the ones who need it the most to make them better," Muncy said.
continued from Page 25
As their final season is on the brink of beginning, each player thought and spoke about what their favorite memory of football was.
"My first Friday night game, I started against Tecumseh my sophomore year … I'll never forget that," Muncy said. "I've always been pretty big, but the biggest difference was you are used to playing kids who don't know how to hit when you are the biggest kid on the team. When I got to varsity, I couldn't overpower everyone and had to use fundamentals and be smarter than the opponent."
The others mentioned what stood out to them as a top moment.
"My first varsity touchdown against Logan Elm was memorable, along with any win against Court House," Dement said.
"My first catch on a Friday night came against Court House, so that was memorable," Dunn said.
"My freshman year we went undefeated, so that was memorable," Schoellkopf said. "My sophomore year, stepping up to play varsity receiver, that ranks up near the top too."
"My freshman year when I made my first touchdown against Westfall," Flerchinger said. "I actually didn't think I scored."
Miami Trace opens the season on Friday, Aug. 24 against Circleville.