FOOTBALL TAB: Still young, but Saints' Lee definitely likes the effort

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 19, 2016 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

DUDLEY -- This is the time for Southern Wayne's young players, who stepped into starting roles last season, to prove themselves.

And the mental game, undoubtedly, is the "X" factor.

Victories haven't come in abundance for the Saints, who let two opponents slip away last season. The losses stung a program that's diligently worked to revive its competitive status with sixth-year head coach David Lee.

"Mentally, losing is hard to overcome. It just is," Lee said. "It's hard to believe that you have a chance to win versus some of the competition that we play based on past experiences. That's the reason we don't harp on it.

"We know, as coaches, we've got athletes in position that if we can execute, if we can get into shape, then we can be very competitive with most of the teams we play. It's going to take all 11 on the field working together to get it done."

Lee noticed the players' "work together" character during the offseason.

As soon as he opened the weight room for winter/spring workouts, nearly 30 players -- three or four days a week -- left everything they had physically in the humid brick building that sits nearly the length of a football field from the school's stadium.

The Saints have gained some strength.

Hard to imagine, but the Saints' speed is better.

"To compete on the field in today's football, it's about spreading the field out and using speed," Lee said.

And getting the ball to either No. 8 (Manny Walker) or No. 5 (Quentin Carlton). They emerged as Southern Wayne's dynamic duo and caused headaches for opposing defensive coordinators barely a month into the season.

An all-area performer last season, Walker ranked among the best two-way starters in Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference play. The 6-0, 167-pound senior accounted for 955 yards of total offense -- 716 rushing, 66 passing and 173 receiving -- on 189 total plays from scrimmage.

He provided five touchdowns.

Carlton rambled for 294 yards and three TDs on 132 totes.

"Quentin and Manny, bless their heart, they stepped up and filled a role they never had to play before," Lee said. "They took those roles on, embraced them and they did the best they could. We'll try to run and pass with them (this season) because of their athletic ability."

Lee plans to spell Walker and Carlton on defense, however. The two were gassed at the end of each game last season. Neither had trouble drifting off to sleep once their heads hit the pillow after an exhaustive night of work.

The Saints will depend on junior Jack Casbarro, linemen Caleb Keel, Eric Brewington, Chris Hatch and running back Eron Ermilus on offense. Casbarro and Ermilus have fully recovered from injuries they suffered last season.

Ermilus, Shawntwon Leach and Rikem Shephard are back on defense. Lee commented that Hatch and senior two-way starter Eric Brewington have gotten stronger and faster due to weight-room workouts.

Now, the question remains.

Can this bunch, still young in some positions, finally climb over the hump in a brutal and physically-challenging league?

"I preach at practice all the time 'don't be afraid of hard work'," Lee said. "You show me a guy that will work hard and he will never be a failure. As long as you learn from your failures, you are not a loser. As long as they give you the effort you're asking for when they're out on the field and give you every ounce of energy, I don't know of any other way to be positive."