The Tuesday Team Spotlight: Oakland Patriots

I am a Memphis Grizzlies fan. I know it’s basketball but bear with me. Chris Vernon, an analyst on both the team’s pre- and post-game shows and one of the best podcasters in the business, has a theorem in team sports: "Don’t play guys who suck." Extremely straightforward, however accurate. Let me tell you, the Oakland Patriots  epitomize this adage. They’ve not won two state championships in the last five years by playing less than adequate players; they’ve done so by having an absolutely stellar roster. Season after season, this team cranks out quality football player after quality football player on every single level of the game. Rather it be the young man returning punts or the long snapper, the athletes that play for the Oakland Patriots are without a doubt some of the best in the state of Tennessee. In this, the second part of my Team Spotlight series, I look at 5 players (I will be covering their 2 stud running backs in an article later this week) on the roster that I anticipate will be contributing to the success of Oakland in the fall. [player_tooltip player_id="102040" first="Ethan" last="McLaurin"] 6’1" 215 Oakland Ethan had himself quite the season as a junior last year. He amassed 96 total tackles (a whopping 59 solo tackles to pair with 37 assists), 15.5 of which were for a loss, to go along with 4 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. That's the kind of stat line one would expect to see from a young man in his senior year, let alone his junior year. At 6'1", 215 lbs, Ethan already has the athletic frame that coaches long for and his length is absolutely absurd. His field vision is also exemplary. Once the ball is snapped, he locks in and hunts it down, quite often bringing down both quarterbacks and tailbacks well behind the line of scrimmage. Look no further than the season opener against Hendersonville to see just what this young man brings to the table; he finished that game with 10 solo tackles, 1 assist, 4 tackles for a loss, and 1 sack. What more could you ask for a player coming off the edge? If Ethan continues to build on his success as a junior, look for him to continue being a force for the Patriots and don't be surprised if he propels himself into the All-State conversation. Max Lovinski 5’8" 160 Oakland The Patriots will be looking for a new starting QB next season, and though it looks like he is the heir apparent to Ian Schlacter, Max will not be without competition. Transfers Silas Teat and Kade Hewitt will battle it out with the young man for the starting quarterback spot however, I'd say Max has the inside track at the position. I say this not just because he was the backup for the Patriots last year, but also based on his freshman tape and his time on the varsity (4 games) last season. In his 4 appearances he threw passes in 2 of those games, and in those 2 games he completed all 3 of his passing attempts for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns for a passer rating of 177.1. Not too shabby. I realize this is a very small sample size, but when you sit down and examine his tape as a freshmen you see that these numbers are no fluke. Max's pocket awareness is next level. Though slightly undersized, he is incredibly elusive and uses his legs in the pocket to truly evade defenses. He is quite accurate on the run, and throws the ball with a tight a spiral and deft touch. The QB battle in Oakland could shape up to be one of the most exciting position battles in the entire state this off-season, and I cannot wait to see what Max brings to the table. Caleb Cole 6’0" 230 Oakland This young man illustrates exactly what you want from someone playing his position. Caleb lines up at defensive tackle, and it is quite often the forgotten spot on a defense. Most nose tackles aren't flashy, either penetrating gaps attempting to break up plays in an opponent's backfield, or simply stuffing the middle of the line anchoring it down. It's not necessarily a requirement to fill the stat sheet. However, Caleb does just that. Last season in the middle of that defensive line for the Patriots, he tallied 31 solo tackles and 28 assists for a total of 59, 5 of which were for a loss. Those are really healthy stats for someone playing along the interior of the defensive line. It's when you watch tape of this young man that you realize just how much of a stud he is. His quickness off the line is absolutely incredible, and he pairs this swift first step with a powerful lower body to absolutely propel himself through opposing offensive lines. A big reason this defense is able to do what they is because Caleb does his job in the trenches, and look for him to continue to do so his senior season. Eric Taylor 5’8" 170 Oakland Eric is one of my favorite players to watch for the Patriots. He's only a sophomore, heading into his junior year, but look at what he accomplished out of the secondary during the team's championship run: 81(?!) total tackles, 52 of which were solo and 29 assists, 6 tackles for a loss, 5 passes deflected, and 1 forced fumble. And to reiterate, he did all of this as a sophomore. A SOPHOMORE. That is extraordinary. Those are numbers that some young men will never accumulate during their high school careers, and this kid has done it with two years left to play. The big number that jumps out to me here is the 6 tackles for a loss. Those aren't normally numbers you see from a player in the secondary, but when the Patriots blitz this kid? He's a real threat. Look at his numbers in the game against Riverdale last season. He had 6 solo tackles, 4 assists, 1 tackle for a loss, and 1 pass deflected in that game, and these numbers are just a microcosm of what Eric does in his game. I would challenge him to work on turning some of those deflected passed into interceptions, cause if he's able continue and develop that aspect of his game: watch out. Eric is special, and I can't wait to see what he does for the Patriots his junior year. Avery Rogers 5’11" 170 Oakland Finally getting to the third phase of the game, Avery will be looking to increase his responsibilities as the kicker of the Patriots. Oakland will be saying goodbye to Trey Turk who had anchored the spot for them and contributed almost 5400 yards worth of kickoffs, almost 400 punting yards, and 56 points last year. That is quite a bit of production that will need to be made up next season, and Avery certainly has the leg to take on the task (like most kickers he also plays soccer and those kids do not mess around when it comes to leg strength). Primarily regulated to PATs in 3 games with the Patriots, he converted on 11 of his 12 attempts for a 92% success rate. He's shown that he can put up the volume as well as be consistent, and that's what Oakland will be looking for as they seek to fill the void left by Turk. Look for Avery to step in and provide the consistency needed for the Patriots as they look to repeat their championship success from last year. The Oakland Patriots might have the most complete team in the state of Tennessee. They have talent up and down the entire roster in all three phases of the game. It's their ability to find talent and develop that talent, that is a huge cog in their championship machine. These 5 young men are just a sample of what Oakland has to offer, and if you want to see what all they have to offer it's not too hard. Just sit back, relax, and watch the Patriots do what they do best: play excellent football.