Panthers and Huntsmen Tango in Litter Media Game of the Week

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Southeastern travels to Huntington in the Litter Media Game of the Week Friday night.

Both teams went scoreless in their season openers last weekend, Southeastern was blanked by Westfall 20-0, while Huntington fell to Zane Trace 25-0.

Four Scioto Valley Conference football teams have new leadership heading into this summer. One of them, Garrett Blair, took over the reins of the defending SVC champion Panthers.

Blair is no stranger to the program. He’s a 2014 Southeastern alumnus and played for the Panthers and he’s very familiar with the winning tradition his senior class has been a part of.

“This senior class has lost only three regular season games in their career” said Blair… “until last Friday

Blair has kept the offensive scheme Southeastern has been using, double tight ends and misdirection. “It’s not the exact same. We’ve applied terminology to what they did… maybe change some formations, a little different in that aspect, but the offense is still primarily the same. We want to run the football, we’re gonna play Southeastern Football.” That means a steady diet of running back Mikey Nusser and Jarrett McWhorter who’s calling signals for the Panthers.

Scott Keller returned to his alma mater Huntington four seasons ago. He’s one of the many coaches happy to know SVC Player of the Year Lane Ruby graduated last spring.

“Just because Lane’s gone, which… Hallelujah. Thank goodness” Keller chuckled. “That was enough to deal with the past four seasons. They still have weapons. And the thing with them, they have experience. They’ve been in big games. Those kids… they’ve been there. They know what to expect. They know what that kind of pressure feels like.”

The value of experience isn’t lost on Keller, who returns a team that was made up mostly of freshmen and sophomores in 2019. The Huntsmen were toughened up while earning a lone victory last season. Keller says his team is still in the growing pain stages, but likes what he’s seen so far. The defense is ahead of the offense which is being led by Junior quarterback Nick Marion who saw his first live action last week.

Watch the Litter Media Facebook Page for score updates Friday night, photos and Litter Media Extras and a highlight package Tuesday on the Litter Media YouTube channel.