The Panthers are running sprints and throwing deep as the boys get ready for the first hits of the 2013 prep football season.

Last year Bonney Lake ended the 2012 season with a 2-3 conference record in the South Puget Sound League 3A.

It was the second year the team ended with a 2-3 record and fell short of postseason.

Coach Jason Silbaugh will be walking the sidelines for his second year. Previously he was a defensive coordinator for Lakes High School.

Silbaugh said soon after taking his job with the Panthers that he hoped to balance the team’s offense and defense.

Last season the Panthers ran the ball effectively in many of its games and had a stingy passing defense. These will be strengths the team will need to build upon as it heads into this season.

The SPSL 3A is a competitive league with Enumclaw sending out an experienced squad that will be a good test for the Panthers Oct. 18.

The Panthers will host school district rival Sumner Sept. 13. Sumner is in the SPSL 2A, but the game is always a test for bragging rights. Sumner had a winning season in 2013 and made the playoffs. Coach Keith Ross has a solid team that will stretch Bonney Lake vertically and on the line.

Bonney Lake opens the season 7 p.m. Friday at Lincoln in a nonleague game.

Additional reporting by Daniel Nash.