Not all victories are determined by a scoreboard.
In 2012, the Panthers of Duval Charter of the Baymeadows participated in their inaugural football season. And, as expected with a team seeing their first action in competition, the end results did not amount to the effort that went into preparing for the challenge.
Bernard Harrell was the quarterbacks coach for two seasons (2013-14) before taking over as the head coach prior to the 2015 campaign. While he was not with the team for that first year, he is very aware of what the team, as well as the community, had to endure.
“Those boys could have, and, honestly, should have, played a junior varsity schedule that year,” Coach Harrell says. “It was a team of mostly ninth-graders. But they played up; they played bigger schools on a weekly basis. And they played them, win or lose, with their heads held high.”
Their first season, from the perspective of the record books, was a disaster. After finishing 1-9 (1-2 in district play), many chose to write the team off. One group of young men, however, refused to see the year the same way. It was only the beginning.
“We had a group of guys that stood tall through it all,” Coach Harrell says. “They’re seniors now; at the time, we had players leave, transfer, and end up at different schools. But these guys stayed put. They knew that they had the ability to build something memorable. And they weren’t about to let one disappointing season change their minds.”
Led by this unforgettable group of young men, the Panthers pushed forward. In their second year (2013), the end result was much easier on the eyes. The Panthers improved, ending the year with a record of 7-3 (1-3 in district play). The success, however, did not come without other instances of adversity. Midway through the 2012 season, head coach Buster Davis was relieved of his duties and replaced by Michael Hunter.
“We’ve made it through so much,” Coach Harrell says. “This team refuses to let anything old them back. Day in and day out, they push. They never quit. The boys are lacking many of the things that their bigger competitors make use of on a regular basis. There’s no state-of-the-art gym or weight room. As of right now, there’s still no true ‘home field’.” (The Panthers use the field of University Christian School for their home contests.)
In addition to missing valuable assets, over the course of the Panthers’ existence, the head coaching position has been somewhat of a carousel. Coach Hunter led the team to a winning record in 2013, and the following year, under his guidance, the team improved yet again. They compiled a 2014 record of 8-2 (4-1 in district play), and for the first time in program history, the Panthers were bound for the postseason.
“Nothing but progress with this group,” Coach Harrell says. “We fell in the first round (to North Florida Christian), but every game is a learning experience. And that playoff game worked wonders for the team’s morale. Now there’s an understanding; the Panthers have potential. The Panthers can go places.”
The Duval Charter football program is in the midst of its fourth season. As of this writing, they were 0-3 on the year (overall; no district games had been played yet). Again, the record may seem indicative to the masses, but the Panther faithful know better. They know that this team, led by this exceptional unit of seniors, is leaving behind more than a record. They are leaving behind a legacy. They are leaving their names, their blood, their sweat, and their tears on four long years of hard work.
“They go out of their way for one another,” Coach Harrell says. “They stick up for each other. They rise together, and they fall just the same. When Chris (Hoolahan) went down, the whole team felt it, most of all that collection of seniors. But at the end of the day, nothing can shake them. They’ve been through so much together.”
Earlier this season, the Panther’s offensive coordinator had to part ways with the team. Senior Christopher Brown (who spends time at wide receiver, running back, and defensive back) stepped up and voiced what every player already knew in his heart.
“Chris is pretty much the unspoken leader of that senior core,” Coach Harrell says. “When we lost our OC, he stood up and told his teammates ‘We can do this. He was extremely valuable, and I know we’ll all miss him, but we’ve dealt with loss before. We’ve come through way too much adversity to give up now’. That’s just the kind of person he is. It’s all about the team in his eyes.”
Regardless of the outcome of the 2015 season, Duval Charter will prepare to graduate a special group of student-athletes. These young men are more than teammates. They are fighters. They are more than friends. They’re a family. They’re brothers. And, most importantly…they are Panthers. And that title is something that a football game can never take away.
The Original Panthers
The following players are the first 4-year participants of the Duval Charter football program:
Michael Booker
Christopher Brown
Kedric Heyward
Jay Hooks
Chris Hoolahan
Benjamin James
Yu’Juan Patterson
Dakota Williams
Dustin Williams
Records by Season
(District Record in Parentheses)
2012: 1-9 (1-2)
2013: 7-3 (1-3)
2014: 8-2 (4-1)*
*Made playoffs
Northeast Florida/October 2015
Special Feature
Duval Charter Football
Against All Odds: Unity Fuels the Rise of the Duval Charter Panthers
By James Washington
