There is a new league in town. With the Future Panthers no longer offering seventh-grade athletics, the Panther Developmental Football League has been formed and signups are soon. Signups will be at the Benton Athletic Complex on July 12 and 14, and July 19 and 21, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on all days.
“Future Panthers has had seventh-grade athletics for the past 20 years,” PDFL organizer Dio Vannucci said, “so in it’s absence, I’m creating a league for all seventh graders that’s called the Panther Developmental Football League.”
Vannucci explained that the PDFL has two permanent board positions: the head high school football coach and the head junior high football coach. Whoever – currently former defensive coordinator and new Benton Head Coach Brad Harris and junior high Coach Randy Shaw – is in those two positions holds a board seat.
“The reason we did that is we want the program to mirror what we see done in other areas,” Vannucci said. “Their football program is highly successful at the high-school level.”
There has been no doubt about the Benton Panthers’ success the past two seasons. Going 12-1-1 two years ago only to fall in the 6A state final, and finishing 9-3 with a semifinal loss this past year, the PDFL has much to look up to.
“These kids will be running the high school offense and defense,” Vannucci said. “We want to get as many seventh graders as we can to come out for the league. The big thing we want to do, not only teach them the offense and the defense, we want to put kids in positions where they’re supposed to play.
“I don’t want kids playing out of position. I’m not going to put a kid who’s never played on the defensive line on the defensive line. If they project as a cornerback, running back or skill-type position, then that’s where they’re going to play.”
Vannucci likens what the new PDFL’s goal is to what Pulaski Academy (Little Rock) has done under very successful varsity Coach Kevin Kelley, who’s teams have won the past two 5A state titles and five total.
“Kids at Pulaski Academy run Kevin Kelley’s offense and defense from third grade until they graduate high school,” Vannucci said. “Obviously, it’s a dumbed-down version in third grade because they’re not capable, but they start the terminology, the technique, the fundamentals are taught at an early age. That’s kind of what we’re doing.
“We want to develop players to develop a love for the game so that they continue to play. Attrition is one of the biggest killers of a high school football program. You can get 60 kids out for eighth-grade football, 40 out for ninth grade, and by the time they’re seniors you have 10 left.”
Vannucci said the PDFL has about 35 seventh graders signed up to play this season, in which practices begin July 26, and game days are yet to be determined, but most likely will be on Tuesday or Thursday at the Benton Athletic Complex. The plan is to play Holy Souls and Christ the King in Little Rock, feeder schools to the Catholic High School Rockets.
“Everett is going to sponsor us, my company (Premier Nationwide Lending) is sponsoring us, Impact Management, a local business guys is sponsoring us,” Vannucci said. “We’re not going to turn anyone away. If they can’ afford the registration fee or if they can’t get a helmet or shoulder pads, we’ve got some corporate sponsors that have reached out and are ready to help. Regardless of money, we want every kid that’s in seventh grade who has an interest in football to come out and join us.”
To contact the PDFL, call 501-840-5995 or email diov@sbcglobal.net. The site is www.therealpdfl.org.