Saraland ordinary? Stop holding your breath

 

 

 

 

SARALAND — In the preseason, coach Jeff Kelly observed the wishful thinking of those outside of Saraland who hoped the Spartans would finally tumble into the abyss after losing veteran stars K.J. Lacey, C.D. Gill, Santae McWilliams and Antonio Coleman, all of whom had passed, caught, run and ravaged their way to three straight appearances in the Super 7.

“We know that everybody has been holding their breath for about eight or 10 years to see Saraland fall,” Kelly said.

Those who have turned blue had better exhale and start scurrying to find some air, if there is any to be had, because the Spartans have once again sucked the oxygen out of Class 6A football.

With the sustained success Saraland has enjoyed, Kelly at times enjoys looking for motivational barbs with which to prick his team and the Spartans have thrived off perceived disrespect, real or imagined. It would take some stupendous imagination to contrive of such mockery now since they have thrived even more off of blocking, tackling and execution — of plays and of opponents — in a 7-0 start that has featured scores of 46-0, 43-14, 54-7, 43-10 and 42-10. And Saraland hasn’t even played Murphy yet.

In other words, the Spartans — who at 69-9 are the winningest Class 6A team over the last five years — look as daunting as ever.

“There’s not really many people that give us a chance and that’s a scary time whenever somebody tells a team that you’re not going to be able to do something,” Kelly said in July.

He wryly added: “We have a lot of good football players.”

Now, Jamison Roberts is throwing to Deshawn Spencer with much the same effect of Lacey throwing to Gill or Ryan Williams.

The committee of P.J. Brown, Roberts and Spencer is running the football about as effectively as McWilliams.

An offensive line of four senior starters — center Talan Friedrikis, guard Aaron Johnston and tackles Ashton Bailey and Jax Wilson — is opening running lanes and keeping Roberts’ jersey unsoiled.

Linebackers Ayindae Pugh, Demaron Dunklin and Jakari Harris and defensive back Tamidrae Sewer are flushing opponents before they can open the lid.

Defensive end Blair Evans leads the team in tackles for loss and routinely scrapes the clouds in the rare circumstances Saraland punts. And Garrison Little and Landon Burchfield are as busy as any extra-point kickers the Spartans have ever had.

The offense played so well in the 42-10 win over St. Paul’s Friday night that Saraland could have put together a scoring drive from the Walmart parking lot, 1½ miles distant, to the end zone. A running clock — perhaps a first in a Saints loss — stopped the carnage in the second half.

“Our guys kind of dismantled them a little bit tonight,” said Kelly, which was rather like saying a frog gets slightly creased in a blender.

What the Spartans did to a respectable St. Paul’s team sent a withering signal to the rest of Class 6A that they could be heading for their fourth straight Super 7, although their seven vanquished opponents are a combined 33-40.

If this team wins the state championship, it will be due to improved play up front. The three best teams Saraland has played this season — Jackson, Spanish Fort and the Saints — had just three sacks and seven tackles for loss combined.

Spartans coaches are developing a talented group of young offensive linemen, including sophomore guard JoJo Pasquill, who starts, and 14-year-old freshman right tackle Landon Law, who on Friday night showed what he can do.

“Landon is going to be a dawg in the next couple years,” said Roberts, who is barking loudly himself.

Law started for the injured Bailey Friday night and, facing five-star edge rusher Tank Jones, didn’t allow a sack. In fact, there were only two tackles for loss. Blitzes were swallowed and Roberts had enough time to contemplate where to throw — not that he needed it — that he could have checked his cell phone for his latest college offer. He currently has 12 from Division I schools.

Roberts, a 6-foot-3 junior who will turn 17 in December, just got the braces off his teeth, likes to fish and play video games but he’s not a typical teenager. He’s gentle until he takes the field, where he treats the calendar and the defense with contempt.

Auburn — in search of a decisive quarterback who can make good things happen — offered him last week. Many say Roberts is an old soul operating beyond his years. It makes one wonder how he’ll age.

“He’s going to be great,” Spencer said of Roberts, who has the best quarterback rating (137.3) among the top 10 Class 6A passers.

The greatness isn’t because Roberts is merely throwing to open receivers. When they come out of their break or turn to look, the ball is already there, in the correct place, catchable like an apple coated in warm caramel, and not only because of his arm strength. The studious young man with a 4.2 grade-point average is meticulously and surreptitiously planting explosives in the defense before the ball is even snapped, then immolates them.

“He’s so good pre-snap,” Kelly said. “He really works throughout the week to learn and study what those teams are trying to do to us and he’s got the arm talent to make all the throws.”

Those rarely include interceptions — his last 99 attempts have been pure.

“He hasn’t even had many close ones,” Kelly said. “He’s purposeful. We talk about every time you release the ball, we don’t want any hope passes. We want a purposeful pass where you have a good understanding of what the defense is doing and how to attack and a purposeful release of the pass. And he’s doing that.”

Stunned St. Paul’s coach Ham Barnett, who in the aftermath wondered out loud if his team is playoff-worthy, has seen Lacey-to-Williams and knows they represent the last three Mr. Footballs. Will Roberts-to-Spencer give Kelly a fourth?

“All four of those guys are some of the best players that have come through this area in a long time,” Barnett said, “and it’s amazing how they’re all at Saraland.”

What will it take to beat the Spartans? Perhaps a team with a physical running game, as Theodore will present in two weeks. Or a great quarterback who avoids turnovers, an excellent kicking game that can flip the field or a defense that can force Roberts out of his rhythm. In other words, another Saraland. Maybe the only team that can beat the Spartans is the Spartans.