EAGLECREST RAPTORS
Coach: Mike Schmitt, 3rd season
Last year: 2-8 (missed 5A playoffs)
League: Class 5A Creek Conference
Players to watch: Xavier Lewis, 6-foot, 188 pounds, S, sr.; TreShawn Wilford, 6-1, 148, WR/DB, sr.; Sean Watkins, 6-3, 186, WR/DB, sr.; Adan Soto, 5-8, 179, QB, sr.; Ryan Willey, 5-7, 185, RB, sr.; Greyson Hoffman, RB, sr.; Donta’e Davis, 5-8, 179, RB, sr.; Cameron Grove, 5-11, 190, WR/DB, sr.; Mike Howshar, 5-11, 259, NG/OG, sr.; Josh Johnson, 6-3, 301, DT, sr.; Aaric Witt, 5-8, 150, WR, jr.; Deyon Sizer, 6-2, 251, DL, jr.; Darian Turner, 5-11, 162, DB, soph.
2012 Outlook: In his third season as head coach and with a roster that includes a whopping 27 seniors, Mike Schmitt feels like things are ready to click at Eaglecrest in 2012. The Raptors have won a total of five games in the past two seasons — missing the playoffs both times — but hope to win that many or more this season with an abundance of returning skill players and size along both lines. Senior safety Xavier Lewis has been offered a scholarship by Wyoming and is on the radar of a number of Division I programs, so his physical play and ballhawking ability will be keys. Combined with seniors TreShawn Wilford, Sean Watkins and Cameron Grove, the Raptors have an athletic and physical defensive backfield which will be helped by the push up front from Josh Johnson and Mike Howshar. Adan Soto is much more comfortable at quarterback, with the trio of Ryan Willey, Greyson Hoffman and Donta’e Davis running the football and Wilford, Watkins and junior Aaric Witt threats in the passing game.
Quoting the coach: “We’ve had a really good summer and seen a lot of quality competition in our scrimmages. This is my third year and we have 27 seniors, so the leadership has been great. They really are a good class and we really only lost three starters on defense and two on offense. We have a lot of lineman back and a lot of skills guys back, so we’re pretty excited about that.”
Schedule (home games in all caps, played at Legacy Stadium): Saturday, Sept. 1 — vs. Denver East at All-City Stadium, 1 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 7 — DOHERTY, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 14 — vs. Fruita Monument at Stocker Stadium, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 21 — vs. Fossil Ridge at French Field, 7 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 28 — GRANDVIEW, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 4 — SMOKY HILL, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 12 — OVERLAND, 7 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 18 — at Cherokee Trail, 7 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 26 — at Cherry Creek, 4 p.m.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555