Smiths Station out to prove it belongs in loaded Region 2-7A

Smiths Station has been a competitive team each of the past two seasons. But competitive wasn’t all they wanted. In a region and a classification with some of the best teams in Alabama, the Panthers want to prove that they belong.

And so they made a change.

Coach Adam Fossett comes in with a strong pedigree at two schools prior to coming to the Panthers, and he’s hoping to continue that there. While he readily admitted the team probably had a ways to go to be game ready, he said they were making progress in becoming the sort of physical team he likes to see.

Offense

The offense is going through the most changes, not just with its system but also in the personell that is running that system.

Quarterback Dalton Sinquefield graduated after last season, and senior Jay Roberts is in to take his place. Tyson Tolliver, Cameron O’Neil and Will Clanton are leading the way at wide receiver, and Stevie Pringle and Joe Lewis battling it out for the starting job at running back.

Where the team needs to prove it most, according to Fossett, is up front on the offensive line. It’s a position he played when he was younger and one he says he is putting more pressure on.

Right now, Matt Robinson and Jarred Long are two who are penciled in among the group, but Fossett said they are constantly trying to find the best five guys to put out there.

“That’s the ‘prove-it’ position for us,” he said. “We need to prove that we belong in this region at that position.”

Defense

The defense, meanwhile, is currently an area of strength. The unit has worked with a lot of the same terminology as in the past and has a number of returning contributors who have made the transition to the new coaching staff well.

Linebackers like Anthony Ortiz and Kenyonte Hudson have stepped up, as has defensive lineman Deandre Williams, among others.

“We’re going to get after it,” Fossett said about the defense. “We have guys up front at defensive line and linebacker who are aggressive and will take some chances.”

At the end of the day, he’s hoping that unit can hold its own against some of the stiff competition it will face while the offense gets up to speed.

Overall

Fossett said the team still had plenty of room for improvement. From spring practice until now, he’s seen a lot of progress but still wouldn’t call his team ‘game ready.’

“Probably not yet,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of things left to do, left to tweak before we line up.”

But he’s keeping his standards high, something he said needs to be done in a region as talented as theirs.

“When you’re going up against a Central or a Prattville or an Auburn, there’s just not room for error,” he said. “You have to be at your best every week.”

This story was originally published August 9, 2016 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Smiths Station out to prove it belongs in loaded Region 2-7A."