With one week of practice under their belts, the Butler County Magnet School Panthers are still searching for a team identity.

Head coach Shane Smothers said that working on continuity and finding players who play well together is one of the main goals for week two.

“We’re still working on developing a football team,” he said. “We’re working on basics, but we’re gradually getting there.”

The Panthers have also had to get in the groove of coordinating football practice with school and other activities.

“As coaches, the difficulty is not having consistency with our players,” Smothers said. “We’re dealing with three two-way starters that missed practice on Friday.”

Numbers, youth and motivation are several things the coaches and players are still dealing with.

“We’re battling to get some kids out, but every day, the younger kids and the coaches are positive,” Smothers said. “There’s a lack of interest, even among some of the players here, and we’re still looking for players to step up.”