High School Football: Berkmar Looking for Improvement

Berkmar High football coach Jonathan Sanks has an uncanny feeling.

Though success has been hard to come by, he senses a little confidence could become contagious.

"You never know when you get (seedlings) a little success how they can blossom into a nice looking flower," Berkmar's second-year coach said. "If these guys get a little success early, who knows what might happen?"

Success has been relative for the Lilburn school's football program, which has reached the first round of the playoffs only twice since 1985 and has had only three winning seasons since 2000. There've been no more than three wins a season the last three years.

Last season, however, had some bright spots. The Region 8-AAAAA Patriots (3-7) won consecutive games over Meadowcreek and Central Gwinnett and were a surprising 3-2 at the season's midway point. Sanks believes a similarly strong start in Friday's season opener against visiting Etowah could put wind beneath his team's sails.

"We are going to go out there and play hard and see what happens," Sanks told the Gwinnett Post.

This season, youth might again make things challenging. About a third of the team's 90-some players are freshmen and only 15 seniors dot the roster. Seven sophomores and two juniors are set to start on both offense and defense, and of 22 projected starters, only eight are returners and five are underclassmen.

"The important thing is to get those young guys confident," Sanks said. "We're still a very young football team in a very competitive region. We just want to get better every week and compete."

Key, Sanks said, will be players' indoctrination to the speed of the varsity game.

"It's hard when you've got a 10th grader who'd normally be on junior varsity and you've got to throw them in on varsity," Sanks said. "They're benefitting from the best teacher: getting varsity experience on Friday night, instead of (JV on) Thursday nights."

Running back Michael Shaw and quarterback Deion Perry, Sanks' son, are the offense's only returning starters. Shaw proved explosive with several games of more than 100 yards rushing, and Perry passed for 1,386 yards and 15 touchdowns in just six games. Look for junior wide receiver Dorren Miller to have impact since coming up from JV, as well as center Dar-Shaughn Lee-Green and guard Derrick Wingate.

Defensive lineman Aveere Giles has caught Sanks' eye since coming up from JV, as has linebacker Jaden Le. The coach said defensive back Mikel Sessions will help everyone know where they're supposed to be, and Natori Burney will anchor the defensive line with his never-quit attitude.

Sanks said players' baptism by fire will benefit them more than they perhaps realize.

"The earlier you start doing something, the better you become at it," he said. "That fourth baby in your family -- the one who otherwise might not be walking quite so soon -- will if he has other brothers and sisters who are running around the house and he's trying to catch up."