by MOSES LEOS III
At the 2013 spring football game, Todd Raymond, Lehman High head football coach, and his Lobos proved how much they have improved in the span of a year.
On the opening kickoff, Kelton Powell returned it 90 yards to the house, in a display of fluid movements and remarkable speed.
“That was the first time the varsity held a kickoff return in a live setting,” Raymond said.
From there, the Lobos stomped on the gas pedal, speeding through a litany of plays through their varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams.
Increasing tempo and fine-tuning the offense was Raymond’s goal for the Lobos. Last season, he felt the team only “scratched the surface” in offensive capability.
The spring game rectified those issues. On the first drive for the varsity offense, they drew up a lengthy drive, culminating with a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jeremy Schilhab to Powell in the back of the end zone.
For Schilhab, the spring session is helping him make the transition from junior varsity to varsity play.
“(The transition) has been good,” Schilhab said. “There is an added pressure, but it is just the same as always; it is all about going out there and making the play.”
Defense also played a big role in the scrimmage, as first team varsity forced two fumbles early in the game. The increased aggression and experience of the defense helped the Lobos improve during the spring season.
“On the defensive side, it has been real positive this year,” said defensive back Malcolm Turner. “We now have the experience on the field, and we are flying around, making tackles.”
Yet, the big play capability was in full force, as later on during the scrimmage, quarterback/running back Paul Matthews powered his way for a 70-yard touchdown run up the middle. Matthews also tossed a 40-yard touchdown to running back Stephen Hidrogo mid-way through the practice.
According to Raymond, the frequencies of big plays were a direct result of Lehman’s offseason workout program.
“Through our offseason program, our kids are getting more explosive. We now have the ability to make the big play,” Raymond said. “Obviously, we want to grind it out, but we also knew we were putting on a show for the fans. That allowed us to roll the dice and take some chances on plays like that; we hit some, we missed some, but we are definitely more explosive than in the past.”
Also impressive were the junior varsity and freshman teams, which played with the same intensity and aggression as the varsity team.
Following the evening’s theme, Lehman closed out the scrimmage with a rousing play. Schilhab connected with Jon Herrera for a 50-yard strike to close out a successful spring season.
Overall, Raymond was impressed with his team’s performance in the spring season, particularly the players’ increased physicality and aggression. Despite some injuries, most notably to star athletes Tyler Dodero and Paul Brown, Raymond is confident the team will be healthy going into 2013.
“We did get kind of beat up. That’s the catch-22 of spring football; you want to teach kids how to play physical. However, the aftereffect is that there will be injuries,” Raymond said. “Luckily, it is spring, so it gives everyone a chance to heal and get better. I was proud of our work ethic; our kids had great energy and went to work every day.”
Running back Brett Wagner was also impressed with how the team progressed this spring.
“I think as a team, we are getting better,” Wagner said. “We are going to have a great team next year.”
