Mount Tabor expects to be tested
As usual, Mount Tabor is loaded, and that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the Central Piedmont 4-A Conference. The Spartans are well-stocked with a hefty share of college prospects on both sides of the football.
Even so, Coach Laymarr Marshall refuses to take anything for granted. As talented as this group is, he acknowledged that the schedule – which includes dates against powerhouses Matthew Butler and Indian Trail Porter Ridge – will thoroughly test his team’s mettle.
The outlook for the upcoming season is promising. But there are concerns about special teams, inside linebacker, defensive tackle and the offensive line.
“We’ll have to replace all of our specialists from last season,” said Marshall. “We need a long snapper, a punter and placekicker. Given our schedule, there’s no doubt that we’ll be in a lot of close games. So, it’s critical for us to be excellent in that phase of the game. Every week will be a dog fight. In close games, the play of the special teams usually has an impact on the final outcome.”
Other than those previously-mentioned concerns, the Spartans appear to be in good shape at the remaining positions. Part-time starter Brian Morton has taken charge at quarterback after serving as a dependable back-up over the past two seasons. Morton, an accurate drop-back passer, won’t have to be a solo act because Mount Tabor has playmakers galore.
In the backfield, James Antoine (1,200 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns) and Isaiah Jones could prove to be the most potent tandem in the conference. At wide receiver, Devine Diablo and Gerald Stanley are proven big-play artists.
Entering his junior year, Diablo (764 receiving yards, 282 rushing yards last season) is a prized major-college prospect who has 15 scholarship offers so far. He’s 6-feet-3 inches, weighs 195 pounds, runs 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash and averaged 19.4 yards per catch a year ago.
“Part of the design of our attack is to get the ball to Devine in multiple ways,” said Marshall. “You’ll see a lot of him at quarterback when we go to our Wildcat formation.”
The offensive line is more than solid with the return of veterans Chrishun Thomas,
Rayquan Muse and Reggie McCombs. Even so, Marshall understands that those three will need help at the other line slots in order for the offense to operate at peak efficiency.
On defense, there’s a shortage of experience at inside linebacker and starting positions are up for grabs at defensive tackle. But even with those question marks, the defense still has the makings of becoming a monster unit. The front line features all-star caliber ends Kadrien Darity and Jementre Blair. In the secondary, cornerback Malik Smith and Rayquan Mosley are exceptional cover guys who provide strong support against the run.
“We’ve been one of the premier programs in this area for a while,” said Marshall, “so, it’s the norm for us to have high expectations. Our goals are to contend for the conference championship and make a deep run in the state playoffs. I believe our schedule will really help us. The quality of the competition should bring out the best in us.”
