With 25 returning lettermen and coming off an intense summer conditioning program, Jim Kroll, Palmetto Senior High head football coach, thinks his 1999 Panther team has a good chance to make the playoffs and maybe more.

Palmetto Senior High School Head Coach Jim Kroll likes his Panthers’ chances.

Coach Kroll, going into his third season at Palmetto and his 22nd as a coach in Miami-Dade County high school football, said the Panthers should improve on last year’s 4-5 record. The Panthers were 7-4 and made the playoffs the previous year under Kroll.

"This is the year we better get better," Kroll said. "Mediocre results are just not acceptable this year and I’ve been in this career long enough to know that changing jobs is not acceptable either."

Kroll observed that last year’s team was better than the record showed and that the team was in every game it lost except one. He said that he played a lot of sophomores and juniors last year, which accounted for the mental errors and mistakes that cost the team some games it should have won.

"We took the approach at the end of last season that we were going to make sure our kids were physically in the best shape they could be in and that they knew their assignments so there would be as few mental errors as possible," Kroll said. "All summer, team members lifted weights, participated in agility drills, pliometrics, conditioning and run, run, run. We tried to get them in shape and get them stronger."

Kroll believes this year’s squad is far ahead of last year’s team and as a result it will go a lot farther. He noted that Southridge again appears to be the class of the district.

"We told our kids, ‘If you want to run with the best team in the district, you’ve got to practice and train in the offseason the way they do,’ or at least the way we think they do," Kroll said. "We worked them hard enough to where they feel that surrender will just be unacceptable after putting in so much work."

Kroll said he lost some good athletes because of the rigorous off-season conditioning program.

"But we want to win this year and we’re looking for some players who feel the same way."

Kroll said his offensive line should be strong with seniors Chris Myers and Kevin Ketchum leading the charge up front.

"We’ve got a junior running back named Corey Kinsey who rushed for 988 yards in nine games last year. He’s very fast and I look for a good season out of him."

The Panthers have several more college prospects on the roster this year, including wide receiver Jerry Curry, tight end Wesley Jefferson and defensive back Katrell Collier. And, with senior Juan Corsada returning at quarterback, Palmetto could be an explosive ball club.

"Juan is a very good quarterback," Kroll said. "He can run the ball as well as pass it. He’s got a very good arm. So, we’ve got a good nucleus this year because we played all those juniors and sophomores last year."

Palmetto opens the season with an away game against South Dade at Harris Field in Homestead on Friday, Sept. 3, at 7:30 p.m.

Palmetto Senior High 1999 Football Schedule