New Faces in New Places.
by Scott Bruskin
With only 10 of last season’s starters returning, the 2009 Thomas Jefferson Spartans took the field against Monarch last Friday night and they looked like a completely different team.
On offense, the Spartans have only four returning starters, but one of those is Junior Billy Sprague, who led all of the DPL league in receiving last year with 33 receptions for 535 yards. Sprague also had six touchdowns to go along with all those catches. The offensive line only has one starter returning as well, with Senior Christian Carpio playing left tackle for the Spartans.
The newest part of the offense, though, is the quarterback and running back positions. The new quarterback(s) are Junior Zach Jackson and Senior Brandon Lowe. Both have a variety of skills, with either one being able to run and throw, presenting a multi-tiered attack at any time. Holding down the running back spots will be Seniors Jordan Pruitt and Jordan McGee, but Junior Michael Craig will also be getting some carries.
Defensively, the Spartans will be different up front, but return three veterans in the secondary. The Spartans welcome two new defensive linemen and three new linebackers to the starting lineup. The new players who will join Seniors Isaac Moore and Brandon Murray on the defensive line include Sophomore Brandon Tara and Senior Christian Carpio. Lining up right behind them will be senior backer Matt Francis, as well as Junior Justin Hoffman. Sophomore Robert McMacken rounds out the starting eight up front. The secondary will be returning all three starters from last year in Seniors Efrem Woldu and Brandon Lowe, as well as Junior Nasheed Robison.
The players are not the only aspect that is new to the Spartans this year; they have also hired a new defensive coordinator in Ben Startzer. “Coach Startzer is a good coach with solid experience. Anytime you can have a coach with college experience on a high school team, it is always very beneficial,” said senior defensive end and wide receiver Vince Crespin.
Coach Startzer has made drastic changes to the defense, and most importantly is his switch from the traditional 3-4 and 4-3 defenses, to the new-school 4-4 defense. “We used to spend more time vs. the pass, and we were weak against the run, but now we have more people up on the line of scrimmage, so we can stop the run better. Our pass defense has always been good,” stated returning Head Coach Timothy Owens.
With new seniors, comes new leadership roles, and as far that is concerned, this year’s seniors have really accepted and embraced.
The Spartans have a tough schedule ahead of them, with games against Columbine (next Thursday) as well as an always intense game against Denver East, but the team is ready to step up and face the challenges that lie ahead of them. “By playing tough teams, you find out early what kind of heart you have. Good competition helps you develop, learn, and make yourself better,” said Assistant Head Coach Matt Nicolo.
