Cabot’s Zach Launius wins Landers Award

Zach Launius, whose hard running helped get the Cabot Panthers to within one win of the Class 7A State football championship, was named the 2013 Landers Award winner in a live presentation Monday night on KATV in Little Rock.

Launius was tops in the state of Arkansas in rushing yards, carries and rushing touchdowns as the Panthers went undefeated through the regular season and claimed the 7A/6A-East crown.

That was good enough for a first-round bye in the playoffs. As it turned out, Launius saved his best fo the postseason. In the second round against Little Rock Central, Launius rushed for 205 yards and five touchdowns as the Panthers cruised past the Tigers, 35-7.

He followed that up with an even more epic performance. Launius rushed for 241 yards and five touchdowns against North Little Rock in the state semifinals. His final touchdown run came in overtime. The Panthers decided to go for two, and Launius got the call again, pushing into the end zone to give Cabot a 43-42 win.

Though the Panthers fell to Bentonville 39-28 in the title game, it was not due to a lack of production from Launius. The 5-foot-7, 175-pound senior tossed a halfback pass for the Panthers’ first touchdown, leading them to a 14-13 halftime lead over the heavily favored Tigers. Launius finished the game with 39 carries for 179 yards and three touchdowns.

Launius, with his compact frame and hard running, was a perfect fit for coach Mike Malham’s ball-controlling dead-T offense.
The award, which was first given in 2000 by central Arkansas auto dealer Steve Landers, is for superior athletic achievement on the field and “embodies the spirit of courage and dedication all student-athletes must master.”

Past winners include Darren McFadden, Peyton Hillis and Tyler Wilson. The annual winner is awarded a ring and a $3,000 scholarship towards college. Launius is undecided on his college plans, but has indicated on twitter that he has sought recommendations to the Naval Academy from Arkansas’ congressional delegation. Other nominees included Jakahari Howell from Arkadelphia, K.J. Hill from North Little Rock, Toney Hawkins of Morrilton and Ty Storey from Charleston.