O'Connor head coach Danny Padron addresses the football team after a recent spring training practice session. Photo by Marvin Pfeiffer

Danny Padron would have been the perfect performer during the vaudeville days.

Like those troupers from that era, the O’Connor football coach is a firm believer that the show will go on no matter what circumstances might get in the way.

Losing players to graduation doesn’t change that approach, nor does seeing 34 athletes moving to Brandeis, Northside Independent School District’s newest high school

Padron and his staff plan to maintain the same positive atmosphere and tend to business as usual.

Looking at the way things have gone the past few years, business has been good at O’Connor.

The Panthers are coming off an impressive District 28-5A championship, and with four offensive and two starters returning from the 9-3 season, the outlook for another successful season is present.

Padron is currently working to make sure everything is in working order during spring training.

“You have to go on,” said Padron, whose Panthers have been in the playoffs the past five years with four district titles. “That’s part of the deal. We won’t have as much depth, so our defense is our backup on offense and our offense is the backup on defense. That will change our workout approach.”

“We’ll be looking to find starters during spring training. We’ll be working on our special teams. We always have our team goals that we want to accomplish. We want to be mentally and physically tough. Discipline is a big thing for us. We want to do things right all the time and pay attention to detail.”

One of the key moves is switching All-District 28-5A linebacker Jarek Lancaster to quarterback.

He played quarterback until his freshman season, but O’Connor coaches also saw him as a valuable defender and placed him on that side of the ball the first two years.

Now, he is returning to his familiar position and Padron is expecting the same type of results.

“Jarek is a great athlete,” Padron said. “When we’re looking for a quarterback, we also want someone who can be a good leader and make good decisions. Jarek can do that. He has played quarterback before, but he played linebacker because he was such a good athlete and we needed him on the field.. We’re looking forward to seeing him at quarterback.”

Offensive help should also come from returning offensive lineman Brady Brown and tailback Jerreal Minor, who rushed for 1,000 yards while sharing time with Aaron Casanova.

Defensive back Tyler Towles returns, but he could also contribute to the offense as a wide receiver.

Defensive strength also comes from linebacker Mike Murphy and lineman Bryan Pfeil.

During the spring training period, Padron also looks for other athletes to start making an impact like they have in the past.

“We have great kids,” Padron said. “They’re not afraid to work. We have a good coaching staff that has worked together a long time, and that’s important. It’s just a matter of maintaining our standards and making sure our kids buy into what we are teaching.”