Last modified: Friday, November 6, 2009 11:29 AM CST

Panthers aren’t taking winless Webster lightly

By DANIEL PIKE, The Daily News

The Russellville Panthers know as well as any team the danger of taking an opponent for granted in the Class 3A playoffs.

A season ago, Russellville was bounced in the second round by Edmonson County - a squad the Panthers had handled by more than two touchdowns during the regular season.

So Russellville coach John Myers hopes his top-seeded Panthers (6-4) remember how fragile the postseason can be when they kick off at 7:30 p.m. against winless Webster County in Russellville.

“I do everything I can” to keep the players focused, Myers said this week. “You watch (Webster County) on film and they don’t look like an 0-10 team.

“It’s just like Edmonson County last year. You know, we’d beaten them handily in the regular season, and it’s hard to convince those kids that, ‘Look, this is a good football team, we’ve got to be ready to play.’ ”

The Panthers seem to have momentum on their side, at least. After an 0-3 start, during which Russellville battled injuries against a difficult schedule, the squad won six of seven and went undefeated in District 2.

The Panthers’ hot streak has fostered confidence, said Myers, who also thinks the early injuries and losses were good for Russellville in the long run.

“It was a blessing in disguise, because it allowed us to get some other kids more prepared and develop some depth ...,” he said. “Coming into the year, I felt like our record might not be as good as it was the year before but we could possibly have a better football team. I feel like that’s where we’re at right now. I think we’re playing better than we have all year at the right time. Hopefully that’ll continue into the playoffs.”

Russellville’s confidence and development faces its first true examination tonight against Webster County, a team with only seven seniors that has been outscored 409-71 this season.

There’s little on paper to cause opponents to fear the Trojans. But Myers sees things on tape that should catch the Panthers’ attention. Behind junior running back Jamey Kennada, Webster County is a run-heavy, “strong, physical, smashmouth team,” according to Myers.

“They’re the kind of team that we struggled with early in the season,” Myers said. “We’ve kind of improved in that area, and defensively we’re playing so much better against the run. They’ve got a couple skill players that’ll give us fits if we allow them to get some momentum going.”

Still, Russellville will be a clear favorite tonight. And if the Panthers intend to shake off the disappointment from last year and make a run for the regional title game - a contest Russellville last reached in 2007 - they must first take care of business against the Trojans.

“We don’t want to end the season this year the way we ended it last year,” Myers said. “We want to advance as far as we can in playoffs. I think we’ve got a little chip on our shoulder to prove that we’re a better team than we were last year.”