NORMANGEE, Texas -- Normangee’s highly successful eight year run under Brian Mullinnix comes to and end and Kevin Morton is the new head coach of the Panthers. Mullinnix went 52-26 in his time at Normangee but is stepping due to health issues.

Morton comes to Normangee after spending the last four seasons as the offensive coordinator at Corsicana Mildred, whom he helped reach the 2A Division II state semifinals last fall. Morton’s offense at Mildred averaged 57 points per game last season, and if he can help the Panthers remotely close to that level in the near future Normangee will be in good shape.

This season Normangee will be young, especially on offense as only one senior starter, lineman Dylon Isom, returns. Isom is one of three starting offensive linemen coming back, but plenty of production will have to be replaced due to graduation, including first-team all-state quarterback Colin Reed, who ran and threw for a combined 3,400 yards and 38 touchdowns, and all-state selections Dominique Barton and Darius Darnell.

The Panthers will have an experienced upperclassman back at each level: Justin Craigo on the line, Justin Hailey in the secondary, and linebacker Tyler Fletcher, who was a first-team all-state selection as a junior.

UIL Realignment places the Panthers in what looks like a very tough District 12-1A Division II. Bremond, Chilton, and Lovelady all made it to the playoffs a year ago and won at least one postseason game. Normangee opens the year on the road at Leon before five straight non-district games at home. If the young Panthers can get some experience in front of the home fans, they should be in the mix to make the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven years.

2012 SCHEDULE
8/31 @ Leon
9/7 Milano
9/14 Brazos Christian
9/21 Snook
9/28 New Waverly
10/5 Dawson
10/12 @ Hull-Daisetta
10/19 OPEN
10/26 Chilton
11/2 @ Bremond
11/9 @ Lovelady