People can be very loyal, but they can also be very finicky. I have always said that if you can get someone to change churches or funeral homes, you have really accomplished something. Sports, however, are a different story.
When our team is winning, we show up painted in our school’s color with clappers, foam fingers and those awful cow bells. But, when they lose, we don’t show up for games, talk of firing coaches and badmouth everyone from the quarterback to the ball boys.
Our Laurens High School Raider football team had a terrible season this year. There is no denying the fact that they finished 1-10 with only one conference win coming against Easley. There is also no denying that the Raiders only scored 197 points all season while giving up 321 and finished the season ranked 108 in the state.
However, where some see loss and are quick to give up on our Raiders, I see a great future. With a roster of 73 players, Laurens is returning 57 of those players. The break down of players by classes for this season was 16 Seniors, 35 Juniors, 14 Sophomores and eight freshman. And, many of those underclassmen got some pretty valuable playing time this year.
The Raiders will be returning running backs Jimmy Harris, Michael Morton, Latarus Guest, Tez Harris, Lamarcus Anderson, Michael Barnes and Chance Bryson and receivers Darius Gibson, Kevin Johnson, Nick Coleman, Chance Wzorek, Chris Booker, Alex Mills, Chase Pressley, Jeff Ruess, Bryson Faulkner and Trey Kolak. Nine offensive lineman will also return for the 2010 season.
On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter Fernandez, Michael Mack, Darius Anderson, BJ Moses, Denzel Sullivan, Tyler Davis, Quindarius Young, Jamie Briggs, Isaac Cooper, Terrell Rogers, Desmond Beasley-Jones, Jake Jenkins, and the list could go on of who will be wearing a Raider uniform next year.
Also, let’s not forget about the Raider JV team who finished the season with a 5-5 overall record with two region wins that Coach Jawon Stephens is going to have to give up to the Varsity ranks next year.
While we as fans are quick to start playing the blame-game, let’s remember that the Raiders were a very young team this year playing against some very experienced teams. Let’s also remember that Head Coach Greg Lawson led the 2008 Raiders to an 11-3 season in which they played for the Division II-AAAA Upper State Championship.
I am convinced that Laurens is going to have one heck of a football team next year. I just hope the Raider fans can forget about this season and give our team a chance from game one and not until after they’ve won a few.
