By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Senior receiver Gus Hannah made the best of a bad situation by watching and getting a bigger picture from the sidelines for the Heber Springs Panthers.
Hannah, who injured an ankle in the Lonoke game, returned to action against Southside Batesville last week with a different point of view. He hopes the experience leads to a strong finish to the season.
“It gave me an opportunity to pay attention what is going on everywhere on the field,” Hannah said. “It helped me to see what I could do when I was able to play again.”
It’s not been an easy time for Hannah, who started last season and until his injury.
“The injury was a little discouraging because I could not play,” Hannah said. “The ankle had been weak, but feels stronger now. I felt better last week and ran better on it during practice before the Southside game.”
Hannah is one of the players who started his career in the local youth football league. He feels fortunate to be playing for the Panthers in the 100th season of the program.
“Playing in the 100th year is very important,” he said. “It means a lot to the team because players from all generations come to the games and watch us. We are taking the legacy of the former players and running with it.”
The Panthers, who currently are tied for fifth place in the 2-4A Conference, remain alive for a playoff berth going into the final two games. Heber Springs will host Clinton on Friday and finish the regular season at Little Rock Mills on Nov. 5. The top five teams will advance to the playoffs.
“This is the playoff stretch,” Hannah said. “It started with the Central Arkansas Christian game. We know that success starts with how we play in the trenches. That will lead us to success.”
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