The Whitharral Panthers football team wrapped up their season earlier this month, finishing with a record of 9-1 overall and 3-0 in district.
The Panthers went undefeated in the regular season and were District Champions, but injuries to three starters, Brent Robinson, Daniel Rodriguez and Damian Rodriguez, derailed what could’ve been an even better season.
Regardless of the ending though, Whitharral still had one of their best seasons ever, which produced some major numbers.
As a team, Whitharral had 124 first downs, 2,709 rushing yards, 59 rushing touchdowns, 685 passing yards on a 71% completion percentage, 17 passing touchdowns and two interceptions, a 59% 3rd down conversion rate, 1:53:03 time of possession, 284 tackles, 17 defensive interceptions, 325 returns yards and three return touchdowns.
Offensive standouts included senior running back Greg Johnson with 124 rushes for 1,844 yards and 37 touchdowns, which all led the team. Senior Brent Robinson missed most of the season, but he still had 22 rushes for 515 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Senior Ayden Dockery had 11 rushes for 125 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Nate Sansom had 14 carries for 99 yards and five touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Damian Rodriguez was the Panthers leading passer with 466 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, one interception and an 84% completion percentage, which was also a shortened season due to injuries.
Brent Robinson had 185 passing yards and five passing touchdowns, along with Ayden Dockery who threw two touchdowns.
Nate Sansom led the team in receiving with 219 yards and nine touchdowns on 14 receptions, followed by sophomore Cooper Burns with 13 receptions for 167 yards and four touchdowns and Brent Robinson with five receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Sansom led the team with seven interceptions which he fielded for 204 yards, adding 41 tackles on the season.
Cooper Burns had the most tackles with 59.5, which is even more impressive when you realize he did it in eight games, and he also had an interception.
Greg Johnson was the second leading tackler with 51.5 tackles, and junior Hudson Dobrovolny, Damian Rodriguez and Brent Robinson both had three interceptions this season.
On special teams, the Panthers lead return man was junior Daniel Rodriguez with four returns for 140 yards and a touchdown. He was followed by Damian Rodriguez and Robinson, who both had a return touchdown, but less yards.
Hudson Dobrovolny was the best kicker for Whitharral with a 66% success rate on 44 PAT’s.
Those countless excellent individual seasons didn’t go unnoticed as the Panthers had seven First Team All-District players along with the offensive and defensive Most Valuable Player awards.
Johnson won the offensive MVP, and Sansom won the defensive MVP.
First Team All-District players honored were Sansom at tight end, Burns at tight center, Damian Rodriguez at quarterback, Dockery at running back, Dobrovolny at kicker, tight end and defensive lineman, Johnson at defensive lineman and Burns at defensive utility.
Congratulations to all those who received honors, and to the entire Whitharral Panthers football team and staff on a great year as a whole.