Gators eager to launch 2014 campaign

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on August 28, 2014 1:48 PM

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SEVEN SPRINGS -- An unusual bye week could either be a blessing in disguise or an omen for Spring Creek's football team.

Aaron Sanders feels grateful for now.

Instead of kicking off their 2014 campaign like their county brethren did last Friday, the Gators got an extra week of practice. They launch their season at home this week against Lejeune, the 2013 eastern 1-A runner-up.

Game time is 7:30 p.m.

"When it first came about and we saw that we were going to have a week off, I didn't know if I was going to like it," SC head coach Aaron Sanders said. "I think it was extremely beneficial for us. Now, having said that, those teams that got to play this past week, they got to go up against somebody other than themselves."

The additional days helped Spring Creek in two areas -- quarterback and injuries. Projected starting quarterback Jordan Hicks, a senior, rolled his ankle during the Gators' preseason scrimmage and is expected to play in some capacity against the Devilpups.

Fellow senior Logan Miller has taken the snaps in Hicks' absence.

Senior lineman/defensive end DaShawn Braswell sustained a fractured hand and is out for at least 10 days.

"Since we knew we had that extra week, we didn't push him (Jordan) to get out on it so that has helped his recovery process," Sanders said. "(Braswell's injury) gave other young men opportunities to get reps at practice. An injury is never a positive thing, but you try to bring the most out of it that you can."

Developing consistency on a young offensive and plugging in the correct personnel on defense has been two objectives in the preseason.

No starters return on the line, which forced Sanders and his coaches to teach fundamentals, blocking schemes and tackling techniques during preseason. While Sanders has noticed some improvement, he won't be able to measure the progress until the Gators line up against Lejeune.

Defensively, senior Xaviar Aycock (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) moved to inside linebacker after Spring Creek's first scrimmage. He filled the spot vacated by junior Sam Crocker (6-1, 175), who stepped into the defensive end role.

"Defensively, we've got to get after the football and be able to pursue side to side," Sanders said. "We're going to have to bring intensity, especially on the O-line because we have to match how hard those guys get off of the football. They have some size and a little bit of speed to go with it."

Lejeune is 22-12 all-time against Carolina 1-A Conference schools since 1981, including a 3-0 worksheet against Spring Creek. The Gators are 1-11 in season-opening contests.