RED SPRINGS — Red Springs senior tight end C.J. Newton wasn’t pleased with the unceremonious end to a 6-5 season that wasn’t enough to make the state playoffs.
“We’ve got to stay committed in the fourth quarter. Last year we had a lot of games that we just gave away,” Newton said ahead of the 2019 campaign.
All five losses for Newton and the Red Devils came within a touchdown and the group held a lead in all but one of the setbacks. Overall, finishing was a recurring problem for the bunch as they dropped four of their last six games after starting the season 4-1.
Third-year Red Springs coach Lawrence Ches led the team to nine wins in his first season and says the step back last year had everything to do with inconsistent effort. He said that the coaching staff has relayed that message to the players the entire offseason and wants to leave no doubt about what it will take to get back to the playoffs.
Ches feels a key component to the late-game struggles had to do with endurance, something he’s also focusing his attention on this summer.
“That’s my No. 1 factor — 2A football, small team, a lot of kids going both ways. You got to be in tremendous condition,” he said.
Running back Lee McLean is an athlete rounding back to form after missing the entire season with a knee injury. As a sophomore, McLean surpassed the 1,500-yards mark and he says he’s eager to rejoin his teammates in his senior year in hopes of reversing the misfortunes he watched from the sideline.
Ches says he’s excited to have the 6-foot, 215-pounds workhorse back in action as it will help open the offense for its other dynamic playmakers.
Dual-threat quarterback Denym McKeithan proved he could be an impact player as a junior last year and is also excited to have his backfield buddy returning. McKeithan worked on his mechanics with a former signal caller at North Carolina Central University in the offseason and says he’s more prepared to pass from the pocket.
Right tackle Cameron Locklear and left guard Dixon McLean are the only leftovers from a powerful offensive line that helped McKeithan and Co. run effectively against opponents.
“They’re the best leaders on the team,” Ches said of the tandem manning the trenches.
“Honestly, if the skill positions are the body, the (offensive) line is the heart and brain. They have to be the most intelligent guys on the field and they have to have the most intestinal fortitude.”
According to Ches, the offensive line has been bombarded with “classroom” time, that involves half-hour teaching sessions each day as they learn different schemes for both pass and run blocking.
Dixon McLean says the younger lineman are getting more hungry as the days go by and they are improving their stamina for when the real action begins later this month.
Meanwhile, on defense, Daylon Hall is expected to fill a gaping hole left in the middle of the formation by all-county linebacker Erney Revels. Hall transferred from St. Pauls in the offseason and has since packed on an additional 20 pounds that coaches and teammates hope will translate to creating a rugged identity for the defense.
“Daylon’s an animal. He’s got a look in his eye that says linebacker,” said Ches.
“The people he competes the most against are his best friends on the team. I love that. If you’ll go hard against your cousin, your brother or your best friend, he’s certainly gonna go hard against somebody from Fairmont or St. Pauls.”
Red Springs begins their grueling schedule on Aug. 23 when they travel to North Johnston in what will be the first of seven road matchups this season.
