By Blake Chadwick
After a tough championship game loss to the Gardner Edgerton Blazers by three points the season before, the Derby Panthers have exactly what it takes to return to the championship game again.
The defense will be spearheaded by a bunch of talent, starting with junior defensive end Dalton Hornback, who is a big-time matchup nightmare.
“I think my biggest strength is my knowledge of the game,” Hornback said. “I can read things pre-snap that will put me in a better position during the play. I can also read offensive linemen and quarterbacks well, so it makes it more accessible, and it allows me to play faster and make more significant plays cause I’m always in the correct spot and know where the ball will be.”
The junior is coming off of a great year where he totaled 70 tackles, five sacks, and 11 tackles for loss, anchoring that defensive line unit for the Panthers. Now, he is primed for even more.
“Some personal goals for myself are to make all-league and all-state teams, which would mean a lot to me if I did,” Hornback said. “The main goal is obviously to win the state championship. We came up just short last year, and it left a bitter taste in all of our mouths, and we have been working to make sure that does not happen again this year.”
