O-Zone Kick-Off Week: Lockwood poised for another strong season

August 10, 2012|by Joe Hickman

LOCKWOOD, MO - The Lockwood Tigers have a strong 10-senior class this year motivated to succeed this season by what happned in 2011. An impressive 8-2 regular season that ended too quickly in the first round of the playoffs with a loss to near-by rival Miller.

Head Coach: Clay Lasater

2011 record: 8-3

Returning starters: 10

Players to watch: RB Brent Chambers, TE Caleb St. John, RB Elijah Pitts, QB Isaac Lasater

Lockwood returns an impressive group of skill players, most of whom have played since their freshmen year. Lasater, Pitts and St. John are multiple-year all-conference players and the only thing sitting in their way to success this year is the rebuilding of the Tigers offensive line.

"It's tough when you're replacing entire lines," says ninth year head coach Clay Lasater. "Especially in small towns where your numbers go up and down. We have some players who are surprising us right now. But they're not proven. We haven't seen yet how they'll do against other teams varsity lines. The important thing is a line has to build relationships together and be able to communicate with each other up front."

And then there's the motivation factor. Lockwood has a history of football success...except when it comes to Miller, who they've lost to seven times in the last four years. And you can bet that this year's seniors will be wanting to change that string of outcomes.

"We had seniors graduate without ever having beaten them," Lasater recalls. And as to the pressure of continuing Lockwood's success otherwise? "It's fun and challenging," Lasater answers. "You want to be somewhere where there are expectations to win. You don't want to be where people accept losing. But at a small school you have to work hard to make it something that the kids really want to be a part of. And it's very important to maximize your numbers."

|

|

|