Few teams can match the 2024-25 Dawson Springs Panthers when it comes to experience.
Dawson’s core group of seniors Rex Blue and Montgomery Johnston, along with juniors Deacon Dever and Jaydon Plunkette, have seemingly played together forever.
Blue and Johnston have been starters and key contributors since they were freshmen.
Both have already topped 1,000 career points. Johnston enters the new season with 1,318 points while Blue has totaled 1,211. Blue should join another elite club during the 2024-25 campaign — 1,000 rebounds. He starts the season with 826 career caroms.
The Panthers won’t be deep, but with their ball-handling and shooting prowess, they won’t be easy to beat either.
Johnston pumped in 20.3 points a game a year ago while Blue scored 17.7. Blue was also the team’s leading rebounder at 9.6 a contest.
Johnston hit 39 percent of his 3-pointers while Blue connected at a 35 percent clip.
Plunkette adds some height to the Panther lineup and also scored in double figures last season with 11.1 points. He can step outside and shoot the ball, hitting 32.2 percent of his 3-point tries a year ago.
As a team, Dawson made 33.3 percent of its shots from beyond the arc while posting an 18-13 record in the 2023-24 season.
Dever is another lengthy player who can help in many ways. He shot 52.4 percent from the floor last year and should improve on his 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds from last season.
Look for sophomore guard Easton Bourland to step into a much bigger role this season after seeing limited action as a freshman.
After that, the Panthers will look for some other players to step up off the bench and add some depth, but Dawson starts the year with just nine players on its varsity roster.
Mickey Blue, who enters his fourth season as head coach at Dawson Springs, says the goals for his squad are simple.
“Just to get better everyday and give us a chance to compete each game.”
PLAYER UNDER THE RADAR
Dever could be poised to have a breakout season for the Panthers.
Most opposing teams will likely gear their defenses to stopping Blue and Johnston — and rightfully so. But that gives a lanky and active player like Dever a chance to score in double figures just by getting to the glass and being opportunistic on the boards.
Dever will also be counted on at the defensive end for a Panther team that doesn’t have a bulky post defender.
BIG GAMES
Dawson Springs will host the 2nd Region All A Classic in January, with the semifinals and championship on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11.
The Panthers will begin the All A by entertaining Livingston Central on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
Other big games on the schedule will be all the 7th District dates, with every game figuring to be key for the seeding for the district tournament.
OUTLOOK
Dawson Springs could be a dark horse in the 2nd Region tournament — if it can get out of what should be a highly-competitive 7th District, which is no guarantee.
“Flip a coin this year,” Blue said of the district. “But until someone knocks off Madisonville, you have to go with them as No. 1.”
Indeed, the Maroons have won 15 straight district titles.
But Caldwell County looks to be improved this season while Hopkins County Central has some up-and-coming youngsters along with a new head coach.
That will make getting out of the 7th District a challenge this season. Still, the Panthers should be competitive with everyone on the schedule.
