Lima Senior coach Bill Lawrence expects Isaiah “Boog” Wilson to make big plays for the Spartans this year.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA — When Bill Lawrence was named Lima Senior’s head coach in April 2023, he promised the Spartans would be the greatest show on turf.
Fast forward one year later, and Lawrence has backed up that statement.
Lima Senior now has a pass-dominant offense that gets up the field in a hurry. The Spartans use all four downs to get 10 yards if needed, and when the Spartans score, they go for two.
As a team, they take risks, and they play the odds.
That mentality paid off by turning what was a three-win team in 2022 into a 9-3 playoff team that went 6-0 in their first year in the Toledo City Athletic League.
It was just the fifth time in the last 23 seasons that Lima Senior finished with a winning record.
Lawrence called his first season at the helm a whirlwind, but he’s confident the Spartans can take another step forward this season.
“Everything is happening around you so fast during that first year,” he said. “We’re installing a new offense and defense, getting all of our systems in place and figuring out how you want to practice.
“Coming into this season, all of that is established, so now that the kids know these things and why we do them. We’re just trying to get better every day in our system. I can breathe a lot easier now that it’s year two.”
Lawrence also has the luxury of bringing back his junior quarterback, Ja’Niaus Hall, the 2023 Toledo City Athletic League and a selection to The Lima News Dream Team.
Hall put up staggering numbers in Lima Senior’s new quarterback-centric offense, finishing his sophomore year with 255 completions for 3,932 yards and 46 touchdowns in 12 games.
Lawrence says his signal-caller added a few inches in height, along with around 15 pounds of muscle after a dedicated offseason in the weight room.
Gaining strength has been a main point of emphasis for the Spartans. In June, an average of 60 kids showed up to morning weight-lifting sessions, and that number stayed consistently above 50 all summer.
“After last year, we knew we had to get stronger,” Lawrence said. “Our team had record numbers in the weight room. I’m very excited and proud of them for that.
“Nutrition has also been a big focus for us. If we want to make a deep run, we need to know how to take care of our bodies.”
Despite losing four wide receivers, Hall is still surrounded by plenty of talent on offense.
On the offensive line, the Spartans bring back three starters. Players in the mix there include seniors Curtis Pollard (6-1, 282), Harley Klett (5-8, 260), Alex Waithe (5-11, 235) and Jon Tummel (6-0, 260), among others.
In an effort to replace the production of graduated seniors, the Spartans will employ a deep group at wide receiver that includes four returning lettermen in Kahliq Walsh, Isaiah Wilson, Keyon Smith and Jaelen Webster.
Walsh registered around 500 receiving yards as a junior, Wilson currently holds Division I college offers, and Smith, a big 6-3 target with reliable hands, slides over from the defensive side of the ball.
Amari Addy, Vontae Watkins-Daniel and Amontrae Davis will also see time out wide.
Lawrence called Davis, a freshman, a special player after he had a great offseason, and he’s excited about the prospect of adding Watkins-Daniel, who hasn’t played football since his freshman year due to injury and eligibility issues.
“He’s a talented young man,” Lawrence said of Watkins-Daniel. “He’s older now and more mature. He’s shown a lot of passion and desire to play. We’re very proud of him for that.”
On defense, the Spartans have linebackers Tavion James (the leading tackler in 2023) and Cam-Ron Nicks back as two of seven returning starters.
Even with a heavy focus on offense, Lawrence said that the defense is something his team will need to lean on, especially in the early part of the season.
“Coach Tristan Reichelderfer (defensive coordinator) and the scheme that we run likes to cause a lot of havoc,” Lawrence said. “Everyone talks about offense, but we’re probably going to have to rely on them. We believe that if we want to go back-to-back, we’ve got to have a stout, physical, tough and hard-nosed defense.”
Winning back-to-back TCAL championships is a goal for the Spartans, but their conference opponents might have other ideas. Both Start and Bowsher return important pieces, and Rahsan Wilson took over as coach at Rogers after leading Scott, his alma mater, to a resurgence.
“We have to be ready each week. We can’t overlook anyone,” Lawrence said. “Last year we came in as the new kid on the block in our conference, and they’re not necessarily in love with us being in the Toledo League.
“For us to win it in year one and go undefeated, that puts us on everyone’s radar now. These teams are going to be better against us. They’ve watched film all year watching what we do. The biggest thing is to not be over-confident and keep improving.”
Last year the Spartans started 1-2 and were outscored 116-42 in those games. After that, they ripped off eight straight victories, including a conference-clinching 26-14 win over Start on Oct. 20.
The Spartans open the season on Friday, Aug. 23 at home against Piqua. Their first conference game is on Sept. 20 against Bowsher at Spartan Stadium.
TEAM PROFILE
Coach: Bill Lawrence (second season)
Division: II
Last year’s record: 9-3, 6-0 TCL
Ticket information: limaspartannation.org/tickets
Returning 2023 varsity letter winners: Janiaus Hall (Jr., QB), Jon Tummel (Sr., C), Alex Waithe (Sr., OL), Kahliq Wash (Sr., WR), Keyon Smith (Sr., DB/WR), Curtis Pollard (Sr.), Cam-Ron Nicks (Sr., LB), Jaelen Webster (Jr., DB), Harley Klett (Sr., OL), Karl Stokes (Jr., DL), Tavion James (Sr., LB), Darvion Young (Jr., LB), Isaiah Wilson (Sr., WR/DB), Denzel Ireland (Jr., WR), Biggie Jefferson (So., DL)
Top newcomers: Amari Addy (Jr., WR), Vontae Watkins-Daniel (Sr., WR/DB), Maxon Hardesty (Jr., LB), Amontre Davis (Fr., WR), Dalton Schick (So., DL/WR), Zymere Bennett (So., LB), Jaypen Jones (So., DB)
2024 schedule
(Kickoffs scheduled for 7 p.m.; subject to change)
8/23 — Piqua
8/30 — at Findlay
9/6 — Marion Harding
9/13 — at Northview
9/20 — Bowsher
9/27 — at Woodward
10/4 — Rogers
10/11 — Waite
10/18 — at Scott
10/25 — at Start, 6 p.m.
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See more about 2024 high school football season at LimaOhio.com/tag/hsfootball24.
