SEBASTIAN — Sebastian River High School Football has been somewhat of an enigma over the past two seasons. Going 5-5 and 4-6 in 2009 and 2010 respectively, they’ve lost to teams they were heavily favored to beat and won games few people gave them a chance to win.
Hope springs eternal at the beginning of every football season, however, and there is a different vibe coming from 15-year head football coach Randy Bethel’s practice.
Spirits are high going into Friday night’s pre-season contest against Melbourne High School, as the Sharks are going into the first game as a healthy football team for the first time in several seasons.
“We’re so passionate about football here,” Bethel said. “This is not the most talented group of players, and we’re not the most talented group of coaches. We just work hard and we love this game. We try to get it through to the players not to disrespect the game in any way, shape or form in our preparation for the game, practice for the game, whatever it may be. Let’s treat the game with respect and have fun.”
Fifteen minutes at a Sebastian River practice shows Bethel’s players have bought into it. Players are congratulating each other on good plays, coaches and players interact with enthusiasm, and even Bethel gets into the act with the occasional belly-laugh.
“The players work their butts off, but they have fun in practice – they really do,” Bethel said. “We’ve got a group of senior leaders on this team who have been with the program for awhile, and they want to see this program go to the next level. That next level is not just being competitive, but winning championships. They put that pressure on themselves to work hard and reach that goal, so we don’t even have to do too much. I think they are going to go out there all season just like this and have fun.”
The catalyst of this season’s football fun-fest is good-natured senior quarterback Norris Rogers. After transferring to Sebastian River last year, he put together a solid season as a receiver for half of the season (8 catches for 75 yards) and as quarterback for the other half (564 yards passing with four touchdowns) in relief of the injured Wesley Wilson.
Rogers, at 6 feet and 185 pounds, is flying under the radar this year, as he is one of the area’s best dual-threat quarterbacks. He is one of the very few student athletes to have played sports at all of St. Edward’s, Vero Beach, and Sebastian River high schools.
“Norris has waited his turn, worked hard, and has been a team player,” Bethel said. “He’s a very talented young man, and he has the ability to make plays from the quarterback position – that’s what we’re banking on. He’s done an outstanding job of understanding the offense better from the spring, and really applying himself as a leader on and off the field all through summer workouts and all through camp. He’s done an outstanding job, and we’re really excited to see how he’s going to do this year.”
Joining Rogers in the backfield this year will be senior running back Nikko Finnegan (668 yards and seven touchdowns). Finnegan put the offense on his shoulders at times last year, and he will once again be featured in Bethel’s Wing-T offense. Senior Anthony Smith, juniors O.J. Jefferson, Javonte Pierce, and sophomore Rickie Stinson will all see action in the backfield.
Stinson, who ran in the quarter-mile in the 51 second range as a freshman this past spring, has speed to burn and Bethel will do everything he can to take advantage of it on both offense and defense.
“Rickie Stinson will be a bright, bright player for us,” Bethel said. “He’s not only a smart player, but he’s a very fast kid as well.
The Sharks will employ a receiver-by-committee approach this season, in an effort to absorb the loss of Stephon Clark to Florida Atlantic University and Rogers to quarterback.
Bethel grabbed two of the school’s best basketball players in senior Deion Roundtree and junior Shelvick Henry, and turned them into receivers. Seniors Matt Vespi and Justin Nathaniel join junior Tay Brown to give this group some much-needed game experience.
“Deion Roundtree, will do an outstanding job for us this year,” Bethel said. “Deion actually looks like Stephon Clark out there because they are a similar size. He’s really progressed from spring until now, and it is like night and day.”
The Sharks graduated one of the area’s best tacklers last year in linebacker Daniel Lee. His departure, along with the loss of Tevin Bess, leaves big voids in a defense with a well-earned reputation of being physical.
“It is hard to replace Daniel Lee (248 tackles over the past two seasons) at linebacker and his production,” Bethel said. “We have been a little bit behind at that position as far as the amount of kids who have played that position. The defensive scheme will change just a little bit to favor what will be our strong suit-our defensive line and our secondary. We’re going to have to move some guys around in order to keep the integrity of what we are doing defensively. The kids are responding to it.”
Jack Flanery (10 sacks in 2010) will once again be featured at defensive end, and the secondary will feature some of the top athletic talent in the area.
“I don’t know if we have ever been this athletic as a defense,” Bethel said. “When we put guys like Rickey Stinson back there with O.J. Jefferson, Javonte King and Shelvick Henry, and James Clark – who is one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached-our secondary becomes very, very athletic.”
Bethel feels Melbourne will be a good test for his team due to the similarities of the two programs.
“Melbourne is coached by a friend of mine, Todd Wilson,” Bethel said. “We’re very similar in makeup as far as dynamics of our team, offensively and defensively. We feel like it will be a very good matchup for us, because we know they are going to be very well-coached and they are a hard-nosed team. Just like us, they aren’t the biggest or fastest, but they are going to be hard-nosed guys. We’re looking forward to it.”
Friday night’s pre-season contest starts at 7 p.m. at Sebastian River’s Sharks Stadium.
