Rangers look to next year after loss to Saints

By Dusty Harper (Contact) | Alex City Outlook

Published Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Lyman Ward Rangers completed their second season under Sheldon Ward at 1-8 after losing to No. 2 Patrician Academy 68-7 last Friday in Butler.

LWMA dealt with a good bit of adversity right from the beginning of the season. The Rangers got little practice time as a team, and the number of workouts was cut even farther because of swine flu during the preseason. The team didn’t have a full roster until a few games into the season, and the Rangers changed from a shotgun-oriented attack to a Wing-T offense during the year.

“Once all the distractions were over and we finally found an offense that we were comfortable in, I thought we started moving pretty well on offense,” Ward said. “We didn’t score enough points, and we gave up a ton. That happens sometimes. We struggled against the run and with tackling. But, hopefully, if we can get most of these younger guys coming back, we can build on what we’ve started.”

John Koob switched from quarterback to running back when the offense changed and ended up with nearly 800 yards on the ground this year. Robert Stegall, who took Koob’s place under center, tossed 5 touchdown passes and led LWMA to its only win, a 21-19 victory over South Montgomery Academy.

However, both of those players were seniors. Sophomore DeWayne Pritchett and freshman Tyrell Canada figure to give the Rangers a couple of playmakers for next season. Pritchett caught 20 passes and proved he could run the football ,as well. He scored the team’s only touchdown in the final game of the season on a 96-yard kickoff return. Canada was consistently among the team leaders in rushing, and freshman Carlos Vargas also shined in a couple of games.

“I think Pritchett and Canada give us a lot of promise for next year,” Ward said. “We’ve got a fullback that’s transferring in that’s a natural that should fit in well with our offense. Next year will be my third with the team, so I’m hoping that another season in the system for the players should help us start smooth and win some games.”

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