PAULS VALLEY PANTHERS
Coach: MASON ANTHONY
3-7
Pauls Valley looks to turn last year’s frustration into progress in 2026 after finishing 3-7 but coming up just one win shy of a playoff spot in head coach Mason Anthony’s first season. Anthony points out that the Panthers were “within one win of a playoff berth despite significant injuries and a relatively inexperienced roster,” and that adversity has fueled a “highly focused and productive offseason.” He says players have shown “noticeable growth in both preparation and execution,” and as the team enters a new district, the staff believes that “increased experience and depth position us well to compete at a higher level and contend for a postseason opportunity.”
Offensively, Pauls Valley returns five starters in an up-tempo spread system built on speed, balance and a physical run element. The Panthers describe their approach as an “up tempo, spread offense predicated on playing fast and keeping the defense off balance with a mix of power run game RPOs,” giving them multiple ways to attack. Senior running back and Top 100 nominee Brody Brown (5-11, 185) is a central piece, a two-year starter and “cornerstone of the program” who scored eight touchdowns on offense last season and added 14 tackles on defense. Coaches praise his “hard-nosed, high-energy style” and say he “brings intensity on every snap,” making him a tone-setter for the whole team. In the trenches, seniors Avery Cates (6-1, 200), Elijah Olguin (6-0, 200) and Marshall Edwards (6-0, 190) provide experience on the offensive line, while junior quarterback Noah Galvan (6-0, 175) returns to guide the offense and junior receiver Bryan Keller (6-0, 170) offers a reliable target on the perimeter.
Defensively, Pauls Valley also brings back five starters in a pressure-based scheme that leans on multiple blitz packages and unconventional looks. The staff describes it as a “pressure based defense built on disruption of the offense through a variety of blitz packages and unorthodox alignments,” emphasizing havoc and confusion. Olguin and Edwards slide to the defensive line, where their experience up front pairs with Cates at linebacker to give the Panthers a veteran spine in the front seven. Brown contributes on this side as an outside linebacker, and junior linebacker Ryan Hammond (5-11, 202) finished with 19 tackles. Sophomore defensive lineman Vince Louis (6-1, 190) adds youth and size in the rotation. Edwards is praised for making the most of his first year as a starter and for his work mentoring younger players and serving the school and community. Together with Brown’s two-way impact, this leadership core gives Pauls Valley confidence it can push into the postseason picture in its new district.
9-4 – at Dickson
9-11 – at Marlow
9-18 – vs. Lindsay
9-25 – at Seminole
10-2 – vs. Madill
10-9 – at Lone Grove
10-16 – vs. Idabel
10-23 – vs. Kingston
10-30 – at Star Spencer
11-6 – vs. Sulphur
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