CUERO, Texas — For the Navarro Panthers, Friday night offers a chance to turn an encouraging turnaround into a statement.
Navarro (5-1, 2-0) visits undefeated Cuero (7-0, 2-0) on October 23, with sole possession of first place in district 15 awaiting the winner. The programs share a postseason history, but Panthers head coach Glenn Hill isn’t changing his routine for the occasion.
“Every game’s a big game to us,” Hill said. “We’re preparing the same way, and we’re going to come out and run our schemes.”
That steady approach has helped Navarro rebound from last season’s 3-7 finish. In Hill’s second year as head coach, the Panthers have opened district play with a 68-14 win over Pearsall and a 54-7 victory over San Antonio Memorial.
Against Memorial, the defense set up much of the scoring. Hill said Navarro held the Minutemen to fewer than 50 rushing yards and forced approximately five turnovers, frequently handing the offense possession deep in Memorial territory.
“It all started on defense,” Hill said. “Anytime you can give yourself free possessions and then take advantage of them, that’s a good deal.”
Navarro has the firepower to score without that assistance, too.
Through six completed games, quarterback Eli Baker has passed for 1,172 yards and 15 touchdowns. Brody Zoeller has caught 34 passes for 552 yards and eight touchdowns, while Emerson Elder has added 25 receptions for 304 yards and four scores.
The running game has kept defenses honest. Julius Deleon has gained 414 yards with nine touchdowns, and R.J. Pates has rushed for 371 yards and seven scores.
Hill credits the players who make those numbers possible, particularly an offensive line whose progress in pass protection has helped Baker operate comfortably.
“They take a lot of pride in not letting Eli get hit,” Hill said. “They’re kind of the Secret Service men right there, and they don’t like it when their quarterback or their running backs get touched.”
The unit faces a demanding assignment against Cuero’s defensive front seven, one of the strengths Hill identified in the Gobblers’ unbeaten start. Still, his confidence in Navarro’s blockers is unwavering.
“I’ll take our five guys up front any day of the week,” Hill said. “I love our offensive line. I love the way they’re playing.”
He isn’t expecting perfection, only enough successful snaps to move the ball and sustain drives.
“We may not win every single battle along the way, but we need to try to make sure we win more of them than we don’t,” Hill said.
Cuero has threats of its own. The Gobblers beat Gonzales 48-13 last week behind quarterback Jarvis Williams, who ran for 96 yards and a touchdown and passed for 146 yards and three scores.
Hill noted that Williams, wearing No. 2, can create problems whether he keeps the football or distributes it to his teammates.
“He’s a dynamic threat running the football, but can also sling it around,” Hill said.
Containing him will test Navarro’s discipline, particularly against a Cuero offensive line Hill considers another major strength.
On Navarro’s side, Lane Black helps set the tone at right tackle and on the defensive line. Hill also praised the team’s defensive front, tight ends and fullback Isidro Rocha, whose lead blocking has helped spring the Panther backs.
“Lane Black’s that guy on both sides of the football,” Hill said.
That commitment to the work up front has become central to Navarro’s identity. Hill even revealed the Panthers use an offensive formation named “nasty” — a label reflecting their emphasis on playing aggressively while staying within the rules.
There is history behind the trip, too. Navarro beat Cuero in playoff meetings in 2016 and 2020, while the Gobblers won their 2024 postseason encounter. This time the reward is positioning in the district standings: a Navarro victory would give the Panthers the head-to-head edge with two regular-season games still to play.
Hill expects the outcome to depend less on any spectacular individual play than on how faithfully his team executes when the pressure rises.
“It’s going to come down to who can stay true to themselves,” he said. “We don’t need to go out there and try to be Superman. We just need to trust in what we do and believe in each other.”
For a program that missed the postseason last year, the chance to lead the district is a measure of how much has changed. Hill wants his players to appreciate the moment without being consumed by it.
“It’s a big-time atmosphere. It’s a big-time game,” he said. “People are excited about it, and so are we.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Gobbler Stadium in Cuero, with KWED covering the Panthers on the road.