By Todd Traub
Leader sports editor
Cabot is hanging on to its conference title hopes.
It would help a little bit if the Panthers could also hang on to the ball.
Cabot is coming off a 7A/6A-Central Conference victory over Little Rock Catholic as it prepares to host North Little Rock in a conference game at Panther Stadium on Friday.
The Panthers (3-2, 1-1) moved the ball on offense and had plenty of defensive big plays in their 41-29 victory over the Rockets, but Cabot coach Mike Malham was bemoaning a continuing case of butterfingers, and other fundamental problems, Monday.
“Our first three possessions we manage to have three procedure penalties, a holding call and a couple fumbles,” Malham said. “And it’s no wonder we were scoreless in the first quarter and down by 13 points to start the game.
“In fact, we’ve been putting ourselves in a hole pretty regularly.”
Cabot was also facing an early deficit before it rallied to win a 35-34 shootout at Pulaski Academy, and the Panthers fell behind early in their conference opener against a stacked Conway team and never got on track in a 41-7 loss.
“Two of our three wins we had to come from behind to win,” Malham said. “There’s some good things there when you’re behind and you can fight back and win theballgame. But against teams like Conway you can’t do that.”
Still Malham said, it is better to be analyzing mistakes after a victory than a loss, and the Panthers aren’t out of the conference championship race yet, though they do need help.
“Obviously a win you’re in better spirits and so are the kids,” Malham said. “You’re still in the conference race, only one game behind. I don’t know if anybody can beat Conway or not, but if they do slip I’d like to be there waiting for them.”
At the midpoint of the season Cabot is looking at a stretch run in which it plays three of five games at home. The Panthers won at North Little Rock last year, 17-6.
“I think home field is pretty nice. I’d like to play here every week,” Malham said. “But once the ball is kicked off I don’t think it has a lot to do with it.”
North Little Rock was a preseason conference favorite after going 9-3 and winning a share of the 7A-Central last year. Cabot also finished first and had the tiebreakers to claim the top seed to the playoffs.
But Conway, picked to finish second in conference, has proven to be a powerhouse. The Wampus Cats beat North Little Rock 38-6 last week and sent a message they will at the least have a say in who wins in the 7A/6A-Central championship.
A score comparison doesn’t help much as Conway beat Cabot by 34 points in Week Four and beat North Little Rock by 32.
“You can’t take anybody for granted,” Malham said. “North Little Rock they’re playing some sophomores but they’ve got as much talent and speed out there as anybody.”
North Little Rock (2-3, 1-1) runs a variety of offensive formations ranging from two tight-end sets to empty backfields, but Malham said that by now the Panthers have seen just about every offense there is.
“They like to run the ball but they’ll throw it too,” Malham said. “They throw it deep several times a game. We’ve seen everything before we ever start the season. We work on everything in the springtime, summertime, 7-on-7.
“We see all that stuff. It’s not like we don’t know what to do. We’re just not doing a very good job of it right now.”
