When the No. 9 Carver-Atlanta Panthers (7-2, 5-0 in Region 5-2A) play the No. 7 Hapeville Charter Hornets (6-3, 5-0) Friday, they’ll be attempting to win their first region championship since 2017 and just the fifth for a program that dates to 1949.
Win or lose, getting to this point has been am emotional journey for Carver, which went 2-8 last year in their worst season since 2011 after reaching the 2022 Class 3A semifinals. From the outside, 2023 may have appeared to be a reloading year, the type many programs face some seasons. The truth was more complicated. The Panthers were reeling from the loss of their offensive and defensive coordinators, both of whom died young and unexpectedly within a nine-month period.
In January, Panthers offensive coordinator Keevin Bell, 47, died of congestive heart failure. On Sept. 9, a day after the Panthers’ third game against Stephenson, defensive coordinator Ozzie Harrell, Jr., 36, died of a heart attack. Both had been serving in their roles since 2016 and were close friends. For Panthers coach Darren Myles, now in his 20th season at Carver, the losses were overwhelming. From a football standpoint, he’d lost the top assistants on both sides of the ball, and that was the least of his problems. He’d lost two friends, and his players had lost two mentors.
“These guys weren’t just coaches, but more like family,” Myles said. “I consider myself the big brother, and trying to navigate losing both of them was rough. The guys were used to hearing their voices. I was used to collaborating with them. Suddenly, you don’t have that. It affected us a lot. Although we were going through the season, it was just different. You pull up to the parking lot, and their spots are empty. They’re not in their place on the practice field. It was like we were just existing, just trying to hold it together.”
Panthers athletic director Wendy Golston, who made sure the players were supported with guidance counselors as they dealt with the tragedies, was appreciative of Myles’ leadership during the 2023 season.
“You could not ask for a better coach,” she said. “He’s just a stand-up guy. He didn’t try to take everything on by himself. He leaned on us, the administration, his family, and on God, to bring him strength. I was down on the field (during a game last season) when he talked to the team, and his speeches are so inspiring.”
The Panthers opened last season at No. 3 in the rankings, then dropped out after a 36-18 loss to Peach County on Sept. 29 marked their fourth consecutive loss after winning their opener against 4A’s No. 10 LaGrange. The Panthers closed the season on a second four-game losing streak, with Stephens County beating them in the first round of the 3A playoffs.
By offseason practice in February, Myles noticed the team was beginning to turn the page.
“We weren’t going through the motions during workouts,” he said. “Workout attendance was 100%, and they were there to get stronger and more powerful. We had guys running track and playing baseball. By spring, we saw a big difference.”
Carver Athletics
Carver Athletics
Myles said the team has taken a “gone-but-not-forgotten” mindset for Bell and Harrell, Jr., and the Panthers’ helmets have a decal honoring them.
Panthers senior quarterback Montavious Banks said Bell’s attention to detail, from effort, to execution, to how the players dress, has stayed win the team.
“We had certain accessories, like socks and colored tape, that were to be worn on game days, and we’ve definitely carried on that tradition,” Banks said.
Of Harrell, senior linebacker Jaiden Dowdell said, “Coach Harrell was about studying your opponents, and playing as close to mistake-free football as possible.”
The Panthers are on a five-game winning streak this season after starting 1-2, beating Southwest DeKalb and losing to Luella and Decatur. The streak includes four consecutive shutouts, where they outscored 5-2A opponents Washington, KIPP, Holy Innocents’ and Therrell by a combined score of 187-0, which catapulted them into the rankings. They defeated Lovett, No. 5 in 3A-A, 47-17 in their last game.
In 2021, the Panthers reached the 3A championship, when this year’s seniors were freshman. The only other season they got that far was 1967. A win Friday would go a long way in facilitating a final deep playoff run for the Class of 2025.
“I knew there had to be a purpose for what happened last year,” Myles said. “(The tragedies) helped shape our senior leadership. They knew what senior leadership looked like from 2021, but sometimes, when you become a leader you lose friends because you’re holding them accountable. This year’s (senior) group didn’t care about those feelings. They just wanted a better season.”
Standing in the way of a Panthers region championship is Hapeville Charter, which is seeking its first region title since winning 6-2A from 2016-2019.
“All glory goes to God for getting us to this point,” Myles said. “That’s the first thing I think about, is praising the Lord on the type of season we’ve had. Some people may have looked at last year and thought we were falling off, so for us to come back the very next season and not just win, but dominate, to do that and be in position to win a region championship, that’s a blessing in itself.”
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