Baton Rouge - The Brusly High Panthers are looking for a lot of improvement from their team after finishing the 2023 season 3-6.

They return about 18 players to the 2024 roster and about 9 on each side of the ball.

There is a quarterback battle that is ongoing between Josiah Hogan and Cordell Oxley. Both signal callers have experience in the starting role. Hogan was the starter two seasons ago, and Oxley took over in 2023 when Hogan was recovering from an injury. Now, they will battle it out for the QB1 role this season.

The offense seems to be in good shape as the Panthers return four out of five offensive linemen led by three year starter, Thomas Dupree. Brusly also returns three wide receivers who have made connections with the rest of the guys on the team.

Defensively, the Panthers return their top three leading tacklers from the 2023 season. Both linebackers Sam Johnson (leading tackler) and Brayden Ray will assume their positions as the anchors of the defense.

Experience is working in the Panthers' favor for the 2024 season and it helps not having to get as many guys up to speed with the program. 

"I think that the guys that we have coming back have played so many snaps at this point that we can advance what we're teaching. We can advance those kind of things. We're not doing some of the day one type of stuff. Spring went a lot faster because of the experience that they have on the field. Last season didn't end up where we wanted it to end up, but those games are tight ball games. You add in some experience into those kind of games, and what you learn from them and watching the film all off season and getting things corrected. I think the experience plays out. Last year only having eight seniors. Now you're looking up and you've got over 20 seniors in a group, so that leadership that you push out of that group, you'll have enough guys to get it done," Head coach Hoff Schooler said about the team.

The Panthers open up their season on the road at Broadmoor on September 13.