The 2000s era of Heber Springs football started with a whimper and ended with a bang.
Long-time assistant Todd Thompson would take over for Bill Buckner for the 2000 campaign as the 2AAA conference would see some changes with Hoxie joining the conference. Heber Springs would struggle through the 2000 and 2001 seasons, before breaking into the win column with an 2002 season-opening win over Little Rock Lutheran. After a loss to Clinton, the Panthers would down Lamar before entering conference play. Corning had replaced Bald Knob starting with the 2002 season.
Former Panther standout Dale Cresswell would take over as head coach for the 2003 and 2004 seasons, claiming a win against Lamar in 2004.
Former East Carolina University assistant coach Steve Janski would take over the program starting with the 2005 season and guide the team the rest of the decade.
Opening with a win over Bald Knob, the Panthers would also claim a nonconference win at Lamar. Heber Springs would break at conference losing streak on Oct. 21, 2005, with a win at Mountain View. They would follow that with a win over Yellville-Summit to finish 4-6.
The 2006 campaign saw Heber Springs shifted to the 2-4A conference joining Lonoke, Stuttgart, Marianna-Lee, Bald Knob, Southside Batesville, Mountain View and Newport. The Panthers would start the season 4-0 with wins over Clinton, DeWitt, Yellville-Summit and Lonoke, before falling to Stuttgart and Marianna-Lee in back-to-back weeks. Blowout wins over Bald Knob and Southside Batesville would follow, before Heber Springs would claim its first win over Newport. Mountain View forfeited the reminder of its season on Oct. 23 due to low player numbers giving the Panthers a 13-0 conference win. The Yellowjackets did field a “B” team that traveled to Heber Springs in week 10 so the Panthers could have a “senior night,” heading into the playoffs. The Panthers would claim their first playoff win in 27 years with a 21-12 win over Greenland. Heber Springs would finish out a 10-3 with a loss at Nashville.
The 2007 Panthers would finish the season with a 5-6 record earning the school’s first back-to-back appearance in the playoffs. In week 8, Heber Springs would set a school record with 76 points in win over Southside Batesville.
The 2008 Heber Springs would start the season 1-4 and the postseason definitely seemed in doubt as the Panthers trailed at Marianna-Lee 30-0 with 8:10 left in the first half, but Heber Springs would score 32 unanswered to claim a 32-30 win. That victory seem to propel the Panthers as they would win six straight, including playoff wins over Prairie Grove and West Fork reaching the 4A quarterfinals for the third time in school history and the first time since 1979. Heber Springs would end with an 8-5 mark.
Heber Springs’ 2009 season saw a 4-0 start, before falling at Stuttgart, 15-12, in week 4. After a win against Marianna-Lee and a loss at Bald Knob, the Panthers would five-in-a-row to advance to the 4A quarterfinals in back-to-back for the first time in school history. The Panthers would finish with a 10-3 mark.
The 2000s HSHS All-Decade Football Team
(Position, Player and Last Season Played)
OFFENSE
WR – Shane Bryant (2005)
WR – Stuart Tillman (2005)
OL – Frazier Blankenship (2007)
OL – Billy Grammar (2009)
OL – Trevor Reed (2006)
OL – Alex Witkowski (2007)
OL – Alex Wyatt (2006)
QB/P – Devin Tillman (2005)
RB – Curtis Decker (2006)
RB – Ryan Grist (2007)
RB – Braylon Mitchell (2009)
K – Antonio Romero (2008)
AP – Wes McMullen (2009)
AP – Taylor Tubbs (2004)
AP – Jacob Wilson (2004)
DEFENSE
DL – Garrett Davis (2006)
DL – Warren DeBusk (2000)
DL – Matt Fedora (2002)
DL – Ryan Palenske (2009)
LB – Michael Harmon (2005)
LB – Tanner Tubbs (2006)
LB – Jonathan West (2005)
LB – Thomas Wharton (2001)
DB – Hunter Derrick (2009)
DB – Jimmy Head (2001)
DB –Hilton Hoover (2008)
AP – David Darrell (2009)
AP – Jake Logan (2007)
AP – Zach Nelson (2009)
AP – Jacob Smithson (2002)
PREVIOUS DECADES
The 1990s HSHS All-Decade Team
The 1980s HSHS All-Decade Team
The 1970s HSHS All-Decade Team
The 1960s HSHS All-Decade Team
The 1950s HSHS All-Decade Team
The 1940s HSHS All-Decade Team
