spt 8-20 Burton FB_Hodde.JPG

Burton football coach Jason Hodde talks with his varsity team during a break on Aug. 13 in a tri-scrimmage against Hempstead and Weimar. (Photo by Nicholas Hodell)

The Burton Panthers took the field for their second and final scrimmage on Thursday night against Centerville at Panther Stadium.

Burton and Centerville ran a simple scrimmage with both junior varsity and varsity teams getting important reps before the season begins next week. Burton coach Jason Hodde told The Banner-Press Friday that his first team got 45 plays with his varsity second team and junior varsity players getting 64 plays. The first-team plays amounted to two offensive drives and two defensive drives.

Hodde also said special teams work and a timed quarter were not part of Thursday’s scrimmage.

“We felt like we both were experienced enough to where we did not worry about the quarter,” he said. “We just were worried about getting some reps against some other team.”

Burton scored once with its first team and once with its second team while allowing a touchdown on defense.

“I thought we played pretty solid, so I was pleased,” Hodde said.

He also is pleased with his team’s improvement, particularly in avoiding pre-snap penalties. Burton had only one false start penalty on Thursday, which was a vast improvement on the six penalties the Panthers committed in their first scrimmage against Hempstead and Weimar on Aug. 13.

“Football season is a progression and I thought we progressed,” Hodde said. “We just practiced better and, of course, the more time practicing the same things gets you better.”

Hodde will look for his defense to eliminate big plays ahead of the Panthers’ first regular-season game next week.

“Every touchdown that has been scored on us so far in the scrimmages, which has not been many, but they have all been explosive plays, 35-plus yards, and usually it is because we are making mistakes,” he said. “So if we can eliminate that, I feel pretty good about going into the Friday night game.”

The Panthers will open the 2026 season at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, against Thorndale at Panther Stadium in Burton. Hodde said heat could push kickoff back 30 minutes, but the game remains on schedule for its 7 p.m. kickoff time.