After making it through this season with only one player returning to the team that played significant time in the past, the Panthers are looking forward to more returning players next year. While it was harder for the team to find its rhythm without many experienced players, they still fought through and had a fairly successful season.

The team ended the regular season with a dominant victory over Northview 83-68. As a result of that win and 17 others, the Panthers ended the season 18-9 with a win percentage of 67%. Losing to Center Grove in sectionals, which was a recent addition to south’s sectional, was a bitter end to a season. Senior Mitchell Lyles was left disappointed with a season that went “not as well as they had hoped.”

Playing under someone as legendary as Coach JR Holmes certainly comes with a lot of pressure. While pressure is often a valuable part of creating a strong team, the high expectations take their toll and players definitely aren’t immune to it. Senior Rhett Johnson said, “If some schools had our record, they would think they had a great season, but with South’s recent success, some people thought we were a bit underwhelming.” High expectations are certainly a part of any sport, but the Panthers storied history raises the bar.

One of the main issues that plagued the team was the lack of chemistry. The lack of experienced players created an absence of trust, despite friendships off the court. Senior Ben Smith said, “unlike previous seasons, the players on the team were good friends but lacked chemistry on the court.” 

Even though the season came to an end earlier than anyone would have hoped, it still provided a year to remember for both players and fans. It led to some great memories with Johnson looking back fondly on “being with the guys at lifts, practices, and just hanging out with each other”, while Lyles said his favorite memory was “The water going out in our hotel in Richmond.”