On Saturday, my column started to take a look at the teams in Butler County in preparation for spring football.

The first two teams to be put under the microscope were Greenville and McKenzie.

Today, Georgiana will be dissected.

Georgiana was one of two teams in the county to advance to the playoffs, unfortunately, their run ended before it began.

The Panthers were ushered out of the playoff tree in the first round by the Luverne Tigers.

The question is, how can this team keep performing at the playoff level.

The answer involves having a strong running back and a smashmouth defense. They possess both.

The Panthers return Zane McMeans except it's now Zane Stackhouse. Either way, the kid can fly.

In the region the Panthers play, the game plans are simple. Run the football often.

To illustrate this point, the three football players that were nominated for 2A Runningback of the Year all came from the same Region. But Stackhouse is the only one returning.

Also the 2A state champion came from that Region. Leroy finished the season with a 17-14 win in the AHSAA State Championship game against Woodlawn. The game played out like Leroy's region – Smashmouth.

It's going to be interesting to see what they do to accommodate their loss.

The Panthers have the opportunity to prove that they are the top team in the toughest 2A region in the state.

Can they do it?

It's that simple.

Griffin Pritchard is the sports editor of the Greenville Advocate. He can be reached by email: griffin.pritchard@greenvilleadvocate.com, or via phone at 382-3111 ext

.122.