Getting there. The trouble is trying to get from here (two-a-day) to there (Class 3A State Playoffs).

After seven years of competitive seasons under head coach Dick Geddes including two winning seasons (most recent in 1998) and a .500 year in 1999, Montezuma-Cortez High School embarks on a different path under the guidance of Karl McGee. Geddes resigned late last spring to take a similar position at Liberty High School near Colorado Springs. McGee was named head coach in May.

The school also will take a different direction as well. MCHS has been competing as an independent for the last couple of years in football only. The Panthers had played in the rugged Class AAAA Southwestern League prior to that and in the 3A Western Slope League before that. Now the school, because of a slight drop in enrollment figures for the past several seasons, will compete in the Western Slope League for this season and next.

There is a whole new excitement surrounding the program, from the coaching staff down to the players. For instance, McKee and a couple other coaches took 13 seniors on a climb to the top of Sheep Mountain on a leadership challenge.

Look for the Panthers to be in a multiple-set offense.

"I think it will be an exciting and explosive offense," McGee said. "We will be a variety of sets including two-back pro, single back, and no back. We will be in as many as 17 different formations. We have good speed on the team. We will like to throw the ball about 50 percent of the time but that’s not to say it may be 60-40 each way. We will run when we can exploit the defense and the run sets up the pass. We have the potential to score on almost every play. The offensive scheme is very flexible."

The heart-and-soul of the unit are tailback Josh Lee, z-back Josh Knapp and Green Mountain (state champs) transfer Kenny Brengle. Kevin Wayman is a very capable running quarterback. Patrick Reed at wide receiver has good feet and Walt Pape at tight end also can run hard. Devin Sena and Dan O’Neal will split time at fullback.

Snapping chores will be handled by Colin Tansey and Kirk Archibeque. The guards are Derique Duran, Keve Goodall and Brad Phillips. The tackles include Dolores County transfer Frankie Ogo plus Nick Patterson. The line is bigger than in past years with O’Neal at 215 pounds, Duran at 250, Tansey 205, Goodall 210, and Patterson 225 to mention a few.

On the defensive side of the ball, look for the Panthers to have a balanced four-man front and unbalanced lines.

"We will have a very aggressive defense," McGee commented. "Bob Archibeque is our assistant head coach and defensive coordinator and he has really taken off with the scheme I like to play with. We will be stunting quite a bit, may be 50 to 80 percent of the time. We have different packages in which we can move players around. We have the speed in the secondary to play."

Pape is one the only offensive lineman playing both ways. He will play defensive end. Richard Berger and Elias Lehi will see time at defensive tackle. The heart of the defense will be linebackers O’Neal and Sena. Reed and Goodall will play outside linebackers. Knapp is a free safety while Bringle, Lee, and Travis Spruell will handle the corners.

Knapp will handle some of the placekicking chores. Knapp played some soccer last season. He also could end up being a punter as well. Brengle, Lee and Knapp will be return people. Special teams are important under McGee in trying to get optimum field position.

"I think we will have a very exciting football team this year," he added.

The Panthers will open the 2000 season at Bloomfield, N.M., on Sept. 1. They will host Piedra Vista (Farmington) on Sept. 8. A big game will be on Sept. 16 when the Panthers travel to Durango.

"These preseason (pre-league) games are important. If we can get through our preseason schedule okay then that will set us up for our league schedule. I hope we can be 3-0 after our first three league games. If we can win a fourth game that would probably put us in the playoffs and a fifth league win would solidify that," he remarked.