By T. Scott Boatright
Transitioning from players the court to the gridiron has resulted in multiple grand slams for Lincoln Preparatory School in recent years.
And the Panthers have hope for another slam dunk this season. It worked last week when Brandon Heard hauled in a pass and turned it into a long, game-winning touchdown.
The Panthers hope that continues starting at 7 p.m. tonight in a game that Lincoln Prep announced Wednesday had been pushed up to a Thursday start to handle officiating staffing.
Three seasons ago, Panthers hoops standout Chanse Robinson (now a Grambling State Tiger) put down the roundball for a few months a school year to become a spark plug for the Lincoln Prep football team.
Along the way, fellow hoops standout Dmitry Payne showcased his outstanding skills, parlaying them into a JC scholarship.
This year’s it’s \Heard, who played football as a freshman before returning to the gridiron for his senior campaign as a Panther.
Lincoln Prep head coach Glen Hall calls a little bit of both Panthers hoops standouts who preceded him.
“Chanse brought an attitude,” Hall said. “He was tough, he was fast, he was mean. Payne brought speed with the courage to run in the middle. He just didn’t believe anybody could stop him.
“Now Heard brings that toughness. He’s a great tackler and runs through people. So he’s kinda like a combination of both Chanse and Payne. He’s doing a great job.
Heard said it was a brotherhood he has with his fellow Panthers – one in particular – that helped lead him back to the football field.
“Really it was just taking to (Panthers starting quarterback Braylin Mayfield),” Heard said about his second foray into high school football. We play basketball together and we’re brothers both on and off the court.
“In the summer we play AAU basketball together and travel together doing all that, and we started talking about what would we do if we go to different colleges? It’s our last year together. We’ve been together for four years. So spring football started, and I told him I’m ‘going to go out there and play with you.’ This is our last year of fun. That’s how that happened.”
Hall said Heard is quickly becoming a bigger part of the Panthers’ offensive planning.
“He’s a great tackler,” Hall said. “Nobody gets by him. He’s a good receiver. And I think we might use him as a running back this week, too.
“Brandon is already a leader for us. But he doesn’t do it with his mouth with that kind of stuff. He does it in the way he practices and plays.”
Heard credits Hall for instilling that football mentality currently driving him and his teammates.
“The techniques he teaches and telling us not to be scared of nothing,” Heard said. “He makes me believe I can tackle anybody – anybody who has the ball I can tackle them and make a play. He taught me that.”
“You never know who’s watching,” said Heard, who has a 3.98 GPA and claims math as his favorite academic subject. . “I always try to go out while having fun – the best I can do.”
Heard admits watching hoops standouts Robinson and Payne transitioned to the football field made him want to take a chance to do the same.
“I always looked up to them and wanted to have that chance to go off to college.” Heard said.
Hall said he loves the team cross-training creating better athletes and is proud of what the gridiron rubs off on the hardcourt.
“They just get an attitude and play meaner and tougher while keeping it within the rules,” Hall said. “Brandon believes in it now and I’ll always believe in playing more than only one sport. That gives these kids a better opportunity in life.”
Hall said Heard will likely play both ways tonight for the 1-0 Panthers at Plain Dealing (0-1) and that Heard’s defensive effort could be as key as his offense.
“We want to shorten the game,” Hall said. “We want to go in, play tough defense and force a lot of three-and outs. And then we want to run the ball and score. We want an hour-and a half game. We want to score on every drive and bring this win home in a hurry.”
