2011 schedule - MediaSpan

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2011
FOOTBALL 2011
AMERICAN PRESS
29
WESTLAKE
Westlake has to re-tool up front
BY RACHEL WHITTAKER
AMERICAN PRESS
Senior tailback Devin
Eaglin is back to anchor the
Westlake offensive attack this
season, but a critical area of
concern for the Rams is on
the offensive line.
Departed linemen Gabe
Spikes, Trent Toups and
District
4-3A
Jordan McBride
all earned all-district
honors last
season, and coach
Max Caldarera said finding
players who can step up to
create running room for
Eaglin and protect senior
quarterback Ryan Feagin will
be a priority.
“A lot of our offense
depends on how we replace
those offensive linemen we
lost,” Caldarera said. “If our
line blocks well, the passing
game could be a great weapon
for us this year.”
Feagin threw just four
interceptions last year, which
Caldarera said gives him
some peace of mind in passing
situations. But, he said
Feagin’s 2010 total of 920 passing
yards is a number he can
surpass in his senior campaign.
“A lot of bad things can
happen when you throw the
football,” Caldarera said.
“When you’re not throwing a
lot of interceptions, you don’t
mind throwing it. We hope
Ryan can throw the ball well,
maybe for a few more yards
than he did last year.”
Eaglin (5-10, 210) led area
Class 3A schools with 239 carries
for 1,403 yards and 17
touchdowns as a junior, and
he was named to the All-
District team.
Caldarera said he expects
to get some help in the running
game from senior
Javonti Landry.
“[Landry] went to school
here when he was a freshman,
and then his family
moved, but now he’s back to
help us on offense,” Caldarera
said. “Hopefully that can take
some pressure off Eaglin.”
Caldarera said Eaglin is
also in the running to replace
Trey Johnson at kicker this
From left, Tyler Vidrine, Ryan Feagin, Ted Blanchard, head coach Max Caldarera, Anthony Cole and Justin Eaglin
will attempt to lead the Westlake Rams to a second consecutive district championship. Caldarera earned his 200th
career win last season, when the Rams went undefeated in district play.
■ HEAD COACH: Max Caldarera (34th year as head coach, 203-
160)
■ DISTRICT: 4-3A.
■ LAST YEAR: 5-6 (5-0, first in District 4-3A, lost 24-13 to E.D.
White in bidistrict round of playoffs)
■ OFFENSE: Multiple One-back (Five starters returning) TE Devin
Pharris (6-0, 190, Jr.); SE HANDON ETIENNE (5-7, 140, Jr.); LT Tim
Newsome (5-9, 210 So.); LG BEN MYERS (6-2, 230, Sr.); C Cody Miller
(5-11, 180, Sr.); RG Justin Eaglin (5-10, 270, Jr.); RT DANE SUIRE (6-2,
287, Jr.); QB RYAN FEAGIN (5-9, 170, Sr.); TB DEVIN EAGLIN (5-10,
210, Sr.); SB Javonti Landry (5-10, 180, Sr.); SB Tyler Johnson (6-2,
185, So.).
■ DEFENSE: 50 Multiple (Seven starters returning) DE Tyler
Johnson (6-2, 180, So.); DE Tyler Vidrine (5-10, 180, Sr.); NG DYLAN
SPIKES (6-1, 270, So.); DT DEVIN PHARRIS (6-0, 190, Jr.); LB JAKE
BRADY (6-1, 180, Sr.); LB LATRELL MARTIN (5-8, 190, Jr.); CB HANDON
ETIENNE (5-7, 140, Jr.); CB Anthony Cole (5-11, 165, Jr.); SS ZACH VIN-
CENT (6-0, 180, Sr.); FS TED BLANCHARD (6-0, 150, Sr.); SS Zach Nash
(5-9, 165, Sr.)
■ SPECIALISTS: K Devin Eaglin (5-10, 210, Sr.); P Ted Blanchard
(6-0, 150, Sr.)
season. Johnson was
Westlake’s kicker and punter
for the past two seasons, converting
49 of 61 extra points
in that time frame and making
both his field goal
attempts last season from 28
AT A GLANCE
and 24 yards.
In the punting game,
Johnson averaged 30 yards
per punt in 2009 and 39 yards
in 2010. Caldarera said a likely
candidate for punter this
season is senior free safety
Ted Blanchard.
Blanchard (6-0, 150) led the
Rams in interceptions last
season with three; he
returned one for a 60-yard
touchdown in a 49-26 win
against Northwest.
Caldarera said the special
teams roles are not an openand-shut
case now though.
“Those guys are not
proven at this point,”
Caldarera said. “They’re
going to have to come
through for us. Trey Johnson
did an excellent job in that
department for us last year.”
The Rams lost an anchor
to the defensive unit in defensive
back Tyler Stoddard,
who signed with
Southeastern Louisiana.
Stoddard led the team with 80
solo tackles and 20 assists
with two sacks, while also
leading Class 3A in receiving
with 14 receptions for 291
yards — an average of 21
yards per catch — and five
touchdowns.
Caldarera said Stoddard
was a crucial part of
KAREN WINK / AMERICAN PRESS
Westlake’s turnaround last
season, as the Rams rattled
off five straight wins in district
play after starting the
year 0-5 to ultimately emerge
with the 4-3A title.
“Tyler Stoddard is an
excellent football player. Losing
him is going to hurt,”
Caldarera said. “With seven
starters coming back [on
defense], hopefully that will
help. They’ll be a year older, so
hopefully things will work out
pretty well.”
Caldarera said his team’s
biggest challenge will be contending
with the realignment
in District 4-3A. Jennings
moved from Class 4A, and
South Beauregard moved from
Class 2A to join Westlake,
Crowley, Iowa and Notre Dame.
“Our 3A district without a
doubt is the strongest in the
state,” Caldarera said. “They
put us with Notre Dame, who is
a perennial finalist team, and
here is Jennings, who was a
playoff team in Class 4A for
two years. ”