Dresden plans to repeat as conference champ

By RANDY CAVIN
Press Sports
After going 5-3 in 2011, Dresden Middle School is primed and ready to defend its Reelfoot Conference Championship 2012.
Head coach David Lewellen thinks that even after losing some key players from last season, his Lions can compete and win back-to-back titles.
He lost starting fullback, Zach Cooper, who was the primary workhorse out of the backfield. Alex Warren, his best receiver from a year ago, is also gone from the team. Lewellen said he also lost two interior linemen, but the rest of his skill positions will be filled with returning players.
“Our quarterback and other receivers are back and, hopefully, we can build from that,” the head coach said.
Dresser Winn will be calling the signals once again for the Lions. As a seventh-grader last year he threw the ball well, and Lewellen said his leadership skills will be needed this season.
Winn will be trying to get the ball out to his returning split end Brice Williams and wide receiver Quincey McDonald this season. Both will be key players with the offense and Winn’s success will depend upon how well Williams and McDonald plays this season.
The offensive line will be strength for the Lions this season.
Lewellen says he has some experienced players returning and will be captained by returning starter, Jordan Mitchell.
“Hopefully our offense will pick up where it left off,” Lewellen said. “I think we will continue to move the ball and put up some points.”
Lewellen runs a spread offense, the same as high school head coach Keith Hodge runs.
“We run plays that the high school runs to help prepare the kids for when they get in high school,” the head coach said. “Hopefully, they will be familiar with the system, the numberings and the play calling.”
Another key strength for Lewellen in 2012 will be his defense. He says his defense will be pretty solid all the way around. This year’s defensive eighth-grade class is full of experienced players with six of them being starters the previous two years.
“Defensively, when these kids were sixth-graders two years ago, we started six players in one of ball games because of injuries and other things.” Lewellen said. “Even though we were not very good two years ago, it was an experience for them. Now we have them playing defense for two years on the varsity program.”
Defensively, the Lions will have Isaac Davidson, Terry Roberts, Hudson Nanney, Braden Cooper, Cade Rogers and Jake Cantrell back from last season. Those seven will provide a solid defense the 2012 Lions.
A big question mark for the Lions will be the special teams. Lewellen says it changes every year with a new eighth-grade kicker and this season is no different for the Lions.
“Special teams are a question mark, just like at any other middle school around here,” the Lions skipper said. “It is year-to-year with an eighth-grade kicker. We are still working on that. It is just a work in progress so hopefully we will continue to improve on that.”
If the defense plays solid like Lewellen hopes it does and the offense can move the ball, the head coach thinks his team will improve upon last year’s 5-3 record.
“We definitely want to improve off of last season’s 5-3 record,” Lewellen said. “If we are not better than 5-3, then we will be disappointed. We have challenged the kids to finish better than we did last year.” Published in The WCP 8.9.12

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