Sanderson football
Sanderson's Chris Lampkins (left) cuts upfield while Carl Marant gives chase during a passing
drill at practice this week. Lampkins is one of several wide receivers expected to make a big impact for the Spartans this fall.
Spartans utilizing athleticism, talent
First-year Sanderson head football coach Tony Lewis isn't afraid to tell the truth as he sees it.
Sitting in his office adjacent the school's weight room Wednesday afternoon, Lewis conceded "We're not going to be the most talented team in conference."
The coach's honesty was refreshing, but the comment still hung in the air like an ill-fated pass before he continued.
"But we aren't the least talented, either," he then added. "And we have enough talent to succeed."
It's a big reason Sanderson — which, besides last year's playoff appearance, hasn't had overwhelming success this decade — can talk realistically about contending in the Cap-7 Conference. Entering the season, the league appears to be wide-open, and the Spartans could finally make that jump from a five-, six-win team to something more.
It's making that jump Lewis and the Spartans concentrate on.
"Sanderson has been down," he said. "But now we have gotten to the point that we are competitive. When you play us you know you are getting a fight.
We've been at the middle for sometime. Now it's time for us to get 7-8-9 wins. "
For the most part, the pieces seem in place for Sanderson to make a move, thanks — ironically — to last year's injury-marred season.
With the team depleted by injury, several underclassmen saw extensive time on the field in 2008, including this year's starting QB Sam Bauckham, who replaces the graduated Jeff Massey.
"Sam was not our starter last year, but he came in and took a lot of shots, and hopefully that is going to pay dividends," Lewis said. "This won't be the first time he steps onto a varsity field and has to lead the offense."
To make Bauckham more comfortable, the Spartans plan to use more shotgun looks on offense, giving the quarterback room to maneuver and make decisions.
"He is a smart kid, and we like him back there," Lewis said. "He will be read the defense, make the read and make the throw.
"We got kids that can win the game, we just need to get the ball in their hands."
Utilizing their weapons is a common theme for the Spartans, and they have several to choose from.
At wide receiver, Sanderson returns 6-foot-5 Wake Forest-commit Matt James, one of the most athletic players in the state. James is a match-up nightmare, and during the end of last season regularly was blanketed with multiple defenders.
But opposing defenses must also respect James' running mates at wideout this fall, notably
Chris Lampkins, Kevin Ott and August Jones.
The coaching staff gushed over their collective play, and expect big dividends from their receiving corps.
"This year we have multiple threats back there that opponents will have to cover," Lewis said. "We have five or six guys who can catch it. They are athletic and they can do something when they get it. "
If defenses pay too much attention to the receivers, running back Derrick Powell — a scatback-type runner — has the big-play potential to also hurt opponents.
"He's very quick, and we want to give him the ball out in space," Lewis said. "We want to take advantage of his skill set."
The offensive line — with two returners — is still a work-in-progress, but the coaching staff sees promise. "We were pretty strong there last year, and we have some good kids there — with good size — but they are young.
Defensively, Lewis expects the unit — light on big bodies — to play an aggressive style to compensate for their lack of size. Spectators and opposing offenses should expect the unexpected because that is likely what you'll get.
"We have a lot of hybrid linebacker-type kids," Lewis said. "We don't have a lot of big lineman. But we are able to go out there and have some fun on defense.
"At the end of the day we'll still have 7-8 guys in the box, but how we get there will be a little bit different."
Lewis praised Montez Hedgepath's growth on the defensive line, and the leadership of Brandon McCain at linebacker.
Sanderson returns three standout defensive backs in Zack Hickman, Daniel Kurtz and Jones.
Lewis explained Jones will appear just about everywhere — offense, defense and special teams. "He is going to play a lot for us, and he should do very well," the coach said.
With the evolution of area offenses to the spread formation, Sanderson's defensive emphasis on speed over size could work to its benefit.
In fact, Lewis predicts — besides Cary, WF-R and Enloe — the Spartans will likely face nothing but spread offenses.
Regardless of their opposition, Lewis wants his Spartans to play with confidence and intensity, knowing full well they have the skills to accomplish their goals.
"We are good enough to beat anybody we play," the coach said. "It's up to them if we want to try and win the conference championship."
