Sale Creek Panthers

Head coach Ron Cox scolds his team for a poor performance in a previous football scrimmage before football practice at a practice field at North Hamilton County Middle School in Sale Creek, TN on August 11, 2014.

Pedal to the metal

By his own admission, starting a program from scratch has been tougher than Sale Creek coach Ron Cox expected. And even by Class 1A standards, the Panthers were drawing from a tiny enrollment, which meant fewer numbers and little to no previous game experience.

But now, in the fledgling program's third year, the numbers are comparable to other teams in their region, there is a solid senior class and most of the players have two years of varsity experience to draw from.

That combination, along with a more manageable nonregion schedule that includes two first-year programs and another that won just one game last year, is reason to believe Sale Creek will earn its first win after two 0-10 finishes.

"We haven't really had any facilities, and a lot of it was just our coaches and parents being very dedicated to getting the program going," Cox said. "It's been tough, and losing wears on the players and everybody. We need to get a win early in the season to build their confidence and show them something positive.

"I really believe we will win games this year."

The Panthers have eight seniors, the most yet for the program, almost 40 total players and 10 returning starters on both sides of the ball. There are also 17 freshmen, which bodes well for the future.

The strength of the team lies in its offensive line, where three-year starters John Sluder (6-2, 270) and Zack Howard (5-11, 254) return, along with fellow senior Daniel Hutchins.

"Things have changed over three years and gotten better," Cox said. "A win early would really do wonders for these kids."

Capsule by Stephen Hargis; contact at shargis@timesfreepress.com or follow on Twitter: @StephenHargis.