2014 Team Preview: Lakes Lancers

 

Five Key Players

DE/TE Benning Potoae (6’4, 265, ’15) – College recruiters have been on Potoae for years, seemingly, as he was an impressive looking freshman and he’s only gotten better over the past three years. Now a senior, Potoae is the unquestioned leader of the Lancers. He’s a vocal leader, but he also leads by example. When you are as big as Potoae is and you can still run a hand-timed 4.65 as well as bench 440 pounds, you are basically a freakish athlete. Potoae will play both ways for Lakes and he’ll post big numbers yet again.

CB/ATH Kemonee Jenkins (5’10, 170, ’15) – Jenkins, another senior, is a playmaker on both sides of the ball for the Lancers. On defense, he’s tasked with shutting down the opponents’ best wideout and on offense, he will play some tailback, but he’ll but a lot more looks out of the slot. Jenkins doesn’t have elite speed, but he possesses football speed and he’s not afraid to stick his nose in and mix it up with the big boys.

WR/S Bryson Foster (6’0, 180, ’15) – The senior, two-way star isn’t the biggest guy on the field, but he just makes plays on both sides of the ball. He’s Lakes’ best wideout, possessing great hands and he runs great routes. He’s also got impressive ball skills which come in handy from his safety spot.

OL/DL Kiyrie Simons (6’1, 275, ’15) – Simons is another two-way senior who will have a huge say in how far the Lancers go in the post season this fall. Simons is a nasty run blocker and he’s great as a guy who can clog up the middle, allowing his teammates to run free when he moves over to the defensive side of the ball.

OT/DT J.T. Colvin (6’3.5, 255, ’15) – Colvin is impressive athletically, able to run a 4.8 forty at his size, but it’s the intangibles he possesses – leadership, heart, motor – that really make him an elite player. The last senior of the group of key players, Colvin is a leader on both sides of the ball and he, along with Potoae and Simons, will make the Lancers very tough to run on this fall.

 

Overview

As one of the most talent-rich programs in the state, many have wondered why the Lancers struggled to win games the past two seasons, going just 9 – 12, but the worm is about to turn if head coach Dave Miller and his charges have anything to say about it.

One of the biggest questions the past couple of years for the Lancers has been who will play quarterback and Miller thinks he’s found the answer in junior Jaiave Magalei, a 6’1, 205-pounder with a big arm. His only drawback is a lack of experience, but he’s a dual-threat player with the ability to hurt you with his arm or legs.

The back up at quarterback is another junior, Rob Reiten, who has been in the depth for the past two years and he will provide leadership and he’ll be a mentor for Magalei this season.

In the backfield with the quarterback will be a host of talent and speed with the likes of juniors Yisrael Stephens and Xzavier Weston and super-sophomore Melvin Miller.

Weston and Miller are the fastest players on the team, running legit 4.4 forties, while Stephens runs a 4.5 and is a bit bigger.

Watch for Miller to be one of the most electric players in the state over the next few years. He played corner as a freshman in 2013 and he’ll be out in the secondary this fall as well, but the Lakes staff will figure out ways to get the ball into his hands in a number of ways and when he gets a glimmer of daylight he leaves everyone in the dust.

At wideout, senior Bryson Foster and junior Tyrell Bromer, who played quarterback last season, will be the main targets when the Lancers want to go down the field.

Senior Kemonee Jenkins, who does most of his work on defense, will be a playmaker out of the slot when he’s on the field with the offense.

Chipping in as both a blocker and an underrated receiver down the middle of the field will be Benning Potoae, a two-way star who butters his bread on defense, but he’s such an incredible athlete, he’s a standout on both sides of the ball.

Along the offensive line, Lakes has plenty of size and experience with seniors J.T. Colvin (left tackle) and Kiyrie Simons (center) playing key roles.

At 5’8, 185 pounds, Mac Downing isn’t very big, but pound-for-pound, Miller says he’s the strongest player on the team and when he latches onto a defender, the play is over for him.

Also in the offensive line rotation is Jayson Fatur, Max Nauer and Jo-Bently Keilani who will rotate into the games when needed.

Potoae, Simons and Colvin make up what could wind up being one of the best defensive lines in the state. They are big, strong and athletic and they will make things very tough on Lancer opponents.

A player that recruitniks need to keep an eye on over the next three years is sophomore middle linebacker Cale Lindsay. At 6’2 and 220 pounds, Lindsay already looks the part of a big-time recruit. Now he just needs to get it done on the field.

Flanking Lindsay will be senior captain Pete Bostic who Miller terms as a “tough guy” even with his relatively slight 5’10, 190-pound frame.

On the other side will be either Chris Hunter or Maika Magalei, both juniors, and they are both athletic playmakers that just lack experience.

The secondary will be a mix of players including Miller and Jenkins at the corners with Foster at one of the safety spots.

Bottom Line: Miller is widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the state and he finally seems to have a team that not only is talented, but also fits his hard-working, disciplined nature. It’s been a long time coming, but if they can get solid play out of their quarterback and stay healthy, the Lancers should have a great shot at a deep run in the state playoffs and an outside shot at getting into the state championship game in the loaded 3A classification if things fall their way.

 

Key Games

@ Peninsula (9/25)

Vs. Sumner (10/17)

@ Auburn (10/31)