This was a year of promise for Clint Layng’s Jefferson High’s football team. After a disappointing 3-6 campaign in 2018, the Panthers had a new quarterback, a big and quick line, and a shared determination to return to the team’s winning heritage.
The turnaround happened: Even after losing its starting quarterback, Avery Stiles, four games in, the Panthers engineered a 5-3 regular season record, a third-place finish in District 5B, and a play-off spot.
But the prospect of a deep post-season run ended in Malta, where Jefferson fell, 26-7, in its first-round match-up Saturday to a strong Malta/Whitewater/Saco coop team.
