Youth is plentiful for the Sailors

So just what did Lakeview mentor Jim Walter absorb from his first season at the Sailors' helm last year?

''There's a lot of things we learned,'' Walter said. ''We've been more active in the weight room in the offseason, number one. Number two, camp has been run a lot more efficiently. And probably the most important thing we've done is really return the focus to fundamentals.''

The Sailors went 1-9 last year in the always competitive French Creek Valley Conference. It was a learning experience for Walter and his staff and it was one the group wants to build upon this year.

''It's easy to get carried away your first year, worried about getting plays in or getting offense or defense in,'' Walter said. ''We've spent a lot of time in camp -- and we will during practice through the year -- just blocking and tackling. If we can do those things well, it will give us an opportunity to win some games.''

That's something the fans in Lakeview haven't seen in recent years. The Sailors are 24-53-1 this decade.

But make no mistake, Walter feels things are turning around for the program. Twenty of the 33 players on the roster are in grades 9 (12) and 10 (8). That alone is something to look forward to over the next couple of years. Also, a summer youth camp, coupled with voluntary conditioning and workouts during the offseason, afforded Walter the opportunity to instill the aforementioned fundamentals.

''We've been emphasizing them since the end of last season,'' Walter said of the basics. ''We knew that's where we needed to start to get this ship turned in the right direction.''

To do that, Walter will look to the young legs of running back Justin George, who as a freshman, established himself as one of the fastest athletes in District 10 both on the gridiron and in track.

Walter admitted to taking it easy on George last year so he wouldn't get physically and mentally worn out. In the last game he had 137 yards on 14 totes and scored on an 80-yard run. This year, however, is a different story and Walter is looking to the 5-10, 155-pound speedster to make things happen.

''He came in this year knowing, expecting, we want to give him the ball 20 or 25 times a game,'' Walter said. ''If we can get him the ball and give him a small crack to get through, we may have a lot of good opportunities.''

Being laden with underclassmen, Walter is forced to find players with little experience to step up and be team leaders. Walter said George has started to take that role on his shoulders, recently becoming more vocal in the huddle.

Walter also will look to the seniors, including three-year lettermen Jon Carothers, Scott McEwen and two-year letterwinner Brandon Slater.

''We possibly could have had six (returning senior lettermen), but the three we have are the three I would want,'' Walter said. ''They were dedicated all year. They were dedicated throughout last year, even though things didn't go very well. We're asking them to shoulder the load. They're doing a lot of playing, not only in practice, but they'll be expected to in games. Over the course of the season, at this small of a school, they're not going to get a lot of breaks.''

As for the freshmen, Walter couldn't pick out one player who he can look to immediately for production.

''They're not big; they're not strong. But there are going to be places where we can use them in spot duty,'' Walter said. ''It's fun for them and a good chance for a freshman to pick up a letter, too.''

Glancing at the roster, however, James Charlton's name does stick out. Probably because he's a 6-foot-4, 195-pound quarterback prospect. Charlton is competing with junior Evan Grinnell for the starting nod.

''It would be pretty hard to start a freshman, but he has all the physical tools,'' Walter said. ''He has the size and he's got a good arm. They've both looked real good in camp.''

Walter is confident whoever is under center will lead his team to victories, it's just a matter of when those victories come. Therefore, he'll judge this year by how his team comes together and how the younger kids develop under the pressure of Friday nights.

Assisting Walter will be Gary Burke, Bill Beith, John Reynolds, Joe Davis and Dave Pyle.