After a slow start to the 2024 season, the Russellville Panthers won five of their next games. In the process, they won their Class 1A district championship on the way to a 6-6 season and a berth in the second round of the state playoffs.
The losses included one to Class 4A state champion Paducah Temple, Class 1A state semifinalist Campbellsville, and Franklin-Simpson, which won a Class 3A playoff game.
Statistics for the season follow:
OFFENSE
Passes Completed: Hunter Hallman 96, Jerius Coleman 5, Octavious “Too Too” McKeage 4
Passing Yards: Hallman 1,444, Coleman 101, McKeage 13
Touchdown Passes: Hallman 17, Coleman 1
Pass Completion Percentage: Hallman 49.7, Coleman 41.6, McKeage 40
Pass Receptions: Labryan Nourse 33, JaCoveon Temple-Dickerosn 28, McKeage 19, Gage Bollenbecker & Jamarion Gardner 7 each, Noah Stovall & Coleman 5 each, Cadence Bertram 1
Receiving Yardage: Temple-Dickerson 529, Nourse 413, McKeage 252, Stovall 130, Bollenbecker 108, Gardner 75, Coleman 54, Bertram 1
Touchdown Receptions: Temple-Dickerson 8, McKeage 6, Nourse 2, Stovall, Bollenbecker & Gardner 1 each
Rushing Yards: Gardner 1,156, McKeage 322, Nourse 177, Kein Gray 128, Coleman 14, Tavin Harris 12
Rushing Touchdown Scored: Gardner 10, McKeage 8, Gray 2, Nourse 1
Yards Per Carry: Gardner 7.5, Nourse 6.8, McKeage 3.9, Temple-Dickerson 3.3, Gray 3.0, Harris 2.4, Coleman 2.3,
Points Scored: McKeage 94, Gardner 66, Temple-Dickerson 42, Alex Arnold 24, Nourse 18, Gray 12. Madison Bloodworth 7, Stovall 6, Justin Bigbee 6, Bollenbecker 6
Field Goals Made: Arnold 3 of 4
Place Kicks Made: Arnold 13 of 16 for 81 percent; Madison Bloodworth 7 of 12 for 58.3 percent
DEFENSE
Solo Tackles: Takyon Darden 49. Samuel Edge 43, Bigbee 41, McKeage 40, David Owens 37, Chrishaun Woods 32, Coleman 29, Stovall 23, Tiron Garvin 17, Nourse & Anthony Allen 15 each, Takato Johnson 12, Gardner 10, Hallman & King Williams 8 each
Assisted Tackles: Darden 33, Owens 30, Bigbee 25, Owens 24, Woods 23, Coleman 18, McKeage & Bertram 11 each, Johnson 10, Stovall 9, Garvin & Allen 8 each, Nourse 6, Hunter & King 4 each
Total Tackles: Darden 82, Edge & Owens 67 each, Bigbee 66, Woods 55, McKeage 51, Coleman 47, Stovall 32, Garvin 25, Allen 23, Johhnson 22, Nourse 21, Hallman, Bertram & Williams 12 each, Gardner 11
Tackles for Losses: Edge 16, McKeage 14, Owens 12, Woods 11, Darden 8, Bigbee 7, Williams 4, Allen, Johnson & Nourse 2 each, Hallman and Amare Gardner 1 each
Sacks: Edge 5.5, Woods 2.5, Darden, Bigbee and McKeage 2 each, Owens, & Stovall 1 each
Fumbles Recovered: McKeage 2, Coleman, Stovall, Edge & Darden 2 each, Williams, Garvin, Gray, Bigbee, Owens, Bollenbecker, Temple-Dickerson & Bertram 1 each
Fumbles Forced: Edge 4, McKeage 3, Garvin, Bigbee, Owens, Woods & Gardner 1 each
Fumble Returns: McKeage 1 for 18 yards and a touchdown, Owens 1 for 10 yards
Other Panthers
Also seeing action for the Panthers this season were Landon Bibb, Miller Bloodworth, Kendarius Boyd, Issiah Browder, Tayshon Cross, Evan Edge, Alex Holdren, William Holloway, Khristian Ortiz, Ezra Stratton, and a second King Williams.