Hermitage is a bit of enigma coming into 2023. They are a team with talent but very green after a massive hit from graduation and a handful of players transferring to other schools. 2023 could be the most challenging season yet for Timothy Jean-Pierre and making it more challenging is the loss of assistant Earl Kinney (now Mills Godwin HC) and an enhanced schedule with the additions of Class 6 state title contenders Oscar Smith & Highland Springs. The Panthers are one of the tougher teams to gauge as we look ahead.

The Panthers were unable to duplicate their reach of 2021 when they reached the region finals. The Panthers beat the teams you would expect but fell to teams you would expect like a Varina, Thomas Dale and Lake Taylor. Finishing 6-4 in the regular season, the Panthers could have been 7-3 but lost a heartbreaker 20-21 to Mills Godwin in the ninth game of the season.

Relegated to a sixth seed, the Panthers had to go on the road in the first round of the playoffs and fell to an LC Bird team that would reach the region finals. The Panthers put together a solid season with 326 points scored and giving up just 184 including two shutouts. That said, the Panthers are used to contending for region titles, that is the standard and in that respect, the Panthers fell short.