The final weeks of this football season were a bitter pill to swallow for the Southside High School Panthers, but they also were building blocks for the future.

The Class 4A Panthers began the 2004 season on a positive note, beating Class 6A Selma for the second straight season and third time in the past five years. That victory, coach Chris Raymond said, was a solid start to what would become a very good year.

“Beating Selma,” Raymond said, “gives you momentum because you know it’s a cross-town rivalry. If you win the game, it can start the season in the right direction and gives you something to build on. It tells the kids that if you work hard, there are so many things you can accomplish.”

The Panthers accomplished plenty, at least early on. Southside won its first four games of the season, and things looked hopeful in Pantherland.

Running back Tony Myles Jr. assembled a strong game in Week 3. The senior ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers slipped past Greene County, 29-22.

Two weeks later, the Panthers and every other team in Alabama returned to the field after Hurricane Ivan’s visit. Myles gave Panthers something to smile about with a 135-yard performance in a 44-6 demolishing of Central-Hayneville. Jermarcus Hardy also had a stellar game, running for a pair of scores.

The Panthers knew they could win. One week later, they learned even more about themselves in a 35-13 loss to Demopolis. The Panthers suffered their first loss of the season, but they also became the first team in 2004 to score on the powerful Demopolis defense. The Panthers stayed with their opponents until Demopolis – now in the Class 4A semifinals – scored a pair of late TDs.

Raymond identified the Demopolis game as a cornerstone of the Panthers’ season.

“That game let us know we can compete with the best in the state of Alabama,” Raymond said.

Southside won its next two games over Dallas County and Livingston, respectively. Things quickly went south from there.

Despite leading both games at halftime, the Panthers dropped consecutive regional games to Bibb County and Jemison – losses that proved fatal to their playoff hopes. The Panthers led Bibb County 12-0 at intermission, only to lose 21-12. One week later, they were ahead of Jemison 20-7 at halftime, but came away with a 34-27 loss.

Southside ended the season with a 64-6 win over Keith, but the Panthers’ future had already been decided. The two regional losses had knocked them from playoff contention.

“It was disappointing not to make the playoffs and knowing how close we were,” Raymond said. “If we’re going to make the playoffs, we have to win those region games.”

The Panthers have since received some good news. Tight end/defensive end/quarterback Jeffery Anderson has been named to the South All-Star Team and will compete in the Alabama North-South All-Star Game to be played Dec. 21 in Troy.