Parkview Football Hits Field Tonight

The schedule says “exhibition,” Parkview High’s football scrimmage tonight at West Forsyth, but the Panthers are treating like it counts in the standings.

That includes coordinating bus transportation, scheduling where and when players are expected to be, pre-game planning and even the team meal.

This will be no practice game in the minds of coaches and players.

“We prepare the same way as we do during the [regular] season,” Head Coach Cecil Flowe said of the 7:30 p.m. game in Cumming. “We play this as a real game. If you don’t, you don’t get better.”

That’s extremely important for the Panthers in 2011, , their first losing season in a decade, but one that was characterized by several close calls. That included a loss in the first round of the playoffs to Roswell on a last-second 52-yard field goal.

West Forsyth provides Flowe and his staff their first opportunity to assess the team in a real-game atmosphere.

Tired of beating up on each other during the three weeks of training camp, the Panthers need a fresh perspective to see where they are for next Friday’s season-opener at Stephenson.

Tonight also will be a chance for Flowe to make some decisions who’ll get the playing time during the regular season. While seven starters return, he says about the only spot secured for sure is Jack Esmonde at quarterback. That doesn’t mean Flowe and his staff don’t already have a good idea on who the starters will be.

“To say every spot is nailed down; that’s never the case with us,” said Flowe, adding that waiting to determine the final starting lineup and significant back-up roles keep players hungry to execute and perform well. “Nothing improves your performance better than competition.”

CLICK HERE FOR PARKVIEW'S 2011 SCHEDULE