The Russellville football team got over the hump last season, winning the school’s first region title since 1992.

This season the Panthers are hoping to take the next step, with the goal of winning the school’s first state title appearance since 1990.

Six seniors are gone from last year, including leading rusher Josh Bigbee, but plenty of weapons return from one of the most explosive rushing offenses in the state in 2015 making Russellville one of the contenders for a Class A state title.

“We have high expectations, but at the same time it all goes back to what a lot of these guys did as freshmen and sophomores to prepare themselves for this season,” Russellville coach John Myers said. “We feel like we have a great group of young men that have worked hard and put themselves in position to make a strong run at it.”

Russellville had the 10th best rushing offense in state history last season, rushing for more than 4,900 yards in a wing-T system that Myers said doesn’t rely on one guy.

The Panthers are hopeful that strength in numbers will once again lead to success.

Senior quarterback Jaylyn McMurry returns with experience that includes three starts as a sophomore as well as last year’s playing time. McMurry totaled 1,000 yards rushing and passing last season.

MJ Jones ran for more than 1,200 yards last season, while Drew West had 454 yards rushing. Johnny Drumgole started as a sophomore but began the season in Georgia before transferring back and missed four games. He still ran for more than 500 yards and is expected to slide into Bigbee’s role in the backfield. 

“It’s great having three running backs in the backfield that are so strong,” McMurry said. “It makes the play action pass so much better.”

Defensively, Russellville loses Jason Mitchell, but does return Jones, senior linebacker TK Hampton and junior defensive back Javaren Robey, who Myers said came out of nowhere to be one of Russellville’s best defensive players last season.

“I’m excited about our defense,” Myers said. “I think we are going to be so much faster, so much more athletic on the defensive side of the ball this year. I really think that is one area we are going to show great improvement in. I thought our offense was way ahead of our defense last year and that’s kind of unusual.”

Myers said depth could be a weakness because of the size of the school, but he still has plenty of competition for playing time.

“We have 14, 15, 16 kids vying for starting spots on defense,” Myers said. “It’s not quite that big on offense. We have a little depth in some areas and no depth in others. It’s one of those deals where we ask some of kids, ‘Who is going to be the next man up?’ You never know from year to year who is going to be that one guy that we really weren’t looking to or counting on at the beginning of the season to step up and play a huge role for us.”

Drumgole said the Panthers are motivated after last year’s 34-25 loss to Beechwood in the Class A semifinals.

“We definitely use (last year) as motivation,” Drumgole said. “We always work hard and (winning a state title is our) main goal. I think we are better this year, just because we are seniors.”

McMurry said he doesn’t expect anything less than a state championship.

“We have that good leadership on the team, so we can get the job done,” McMurry said. 

It’s a goal echoed by Myers.

“We feel like we want to play at WKU in December or bust,” Myers said. “We talk about it every day.”

— Follow sports reporter Micheal Compton on Twitter @mcompton428 or visit bgdailynews.com.