2021 Season Preview: Lampasas

Lampasas will be an interesting team to watch this season for many reasons. The Badgers last season pretty much went undefeated the entire year before entering the playoffs and losing to Miller in the second round. Before that, the Badgers essentially dominated every single opponent. However, Lampasas also lost a large chunk of the team with seniors graduating including quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60543" first="Ace" last="Whitehead"]</strong>, running back <strong>Jack Jerome</strong>, wide receivers <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60479" first="Michael" last="Murray"] Jr.</strong> and <strong>Lane Haviland</strong>, defensive lineman <strong>Owen Seaver</strong>, defensive lineman <strong>Anthony Harris</strong> and defensive back <strong>Cade White</strong>. However, given how elite Lampasas has been, the players that could fill the gaps in these positions are set up for success or even better success than their predecessors. &nbsp; <strong>KEY RETURNERS</strong> <strong>Case Brister (SR-LB/RB)</strong> Brister plays both linebacker and running back for the Badgers. Last season, he accounted for 299 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. On defense, he had 177 total tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, two sacks, 10 hurries, one interception and two blocked punts. Given these stat numbers alone, Brister should emerge as one of the most eltie players for Lampasas this season and given that Jerome graduated, Brister could take the charge on running the ball on offense. Looking at his tape, it is easy to see why he excels at both positions, and it is because of his speed. He ran a 4.58 40-yard dash and an 11.3 100-meter dash. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/9997750/5ff4bd84b534e60858dcee20" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Ethan Moreno (JR-WR)</strong> Moreno has a ton of potential because he could emerge as a big player at multiple positions. However, the biggest spot is his receiving given he had the third-most receiving yards on the team behind two senior receivers. He had 397 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in 27 receptions, according to MaxPreps. However, Moreno also rushed for 71 yards and threw one pass for 28 yards. Moreno could pop up on any play and Lampasas will still use such a versatile player in their arsenal. <strong>Carter Johnson (JR-WR)</strong> Another name to watch out for is Johnson, who had five receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown last season. While this may seem slim, it is important to remember the two gaps left in the receiving core and the fact that Johnson is in a good position to fill those gaps. In one of his highlight tapes, Johnson showcased his ability to run routes effectively and with precision, making him a deadly player on short passes that could trip up coverages. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12981372/5fcffd6419a5bd004c332aeb" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Joshua Carter (SR-LB)</strong> Already a leader on defense, Joshua Carter led the team with five sacks last season and 11 hurries. He also had 67 total tackles, with 10 being for a loss. On top of that, he had three fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and a blocked punt. Carter is a fast linebacker that can speed through blockers and a powerful tackler which is why he has caused so many fumbles thus far. Carter’s speed also helps him on special teams to potentially get a blocked punt or cause disruption on either opposing offenses or special teams altogether. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11293907/5fc6cf8c9677700ba831e30b" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Sosa Sokimi (SR-DL)</strong> Another big leader on defense, Sokimi registered four sacks last season and 25 hurries. He also had 45 total tackles, with five being for a loss. He also had one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. For such a large man, he moves incredibly fast which allows him to get into the pocket and make the quarterback panic, or with his impressive footwork to get around blockers, stuff the run. Sokimi is such a fast and focused lineman, that he is very hard to stop for opposing offenses. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11294098/5fcf1ab59a9c4d09e055aec9" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Daxton Brookerson (SR-DB)</strong> For the secondary, it is Brookerson that is leading the charge with three interceptions last season. He also had 10 pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Brookerson runs a tight coverage downfield and always has his eyes on the ball. With his ability to not only keep tight coverage on the receiver, but keep his eyes on the quarterback, he is able to make plays and predict where the quarterback will throw it. Brookerson is likely looking to beat his three interceptions he had last season. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11293922/5fc7fa634206220b3c59bdb9" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <strong>Dylan Sanchez (JR-QB)</strong> &nbsp; <strong>SCHEDULE</strong> 8/27 @ Brownwood 9/3 vs Elgin 9/10 @ Wimberley 9/17 vs China Spring 9/24 @ Gatesville <strong>10/8 vs Taylor - Beginning of District</strong> 10/15 vs Burnet 10/22 @ LBJ Austin 10/29 vs Canyon Lake 11/5 @ Fredericksburg