Ocean looks for familiar results with new faces
BY VIN RAPOLLA Staff Writer
With a new coach in Don Klein for the 2007 season the Spartans are steadfast on defending their Federal Division championship.

JEFF GRANIT staff The Ocean Township offense will get a huge boost in week six when St. John Vianney transfer David Whittaker becomes eligible, as the Spartans look to defend their 2006 Federal Division title.

And they are well aware of what it will take.

"We are going to do everything we can to retain our division championship," said Klein. "We know we can't look past any opponent and will have to play, week in and week out, our brand of football to be successful."

After losing a number of key players to graduation on both sides of the ball from last year's 8-2 team, Ocean did have many questions entering the '07 season, the biggest of which was at the quarterback situation. The team came into camp with several players vying for the position, before junior Rhett Cowley emerged as the starter.

"Rhett had a terrific preseason," said Klein," a Shore Regional graduate who takes over for the departed Sal Spampamato, now the head coach at Monmouth Regional.

Also in question for the season was the team's backfield. Though Ocean's backfield will certainly be strengthened by the addition of senior David Whittaker, a transfer from St. John Vianney who led the Lancers in rushing the last three years, Whittaker must sit out the first 30 days after tonight's opener against Central Regional, as per NJSIAA rules.

As a result, what materialized was another in-camp competition. Now, after seeing the depth of talent he has at his disposal, Klein has decided to use a rotating backfield that should be able to handle just about any defensive scheme. Senior Ross Winders, a transfer from Central Regional, will start at fullback, while running behind him will be senior Baffour Anim, and juniors Jamaar Jefferson, Ricky Tirad, and Louis Pisano.

"We are going to be rotating our running backs," said Klein. "All of these guys have strengths, and they'll be put in situations we know they will do well in"

One thing this new core of backs can rely on is the protection they'll get from a strong offensive line. The team returns two key offensive line elements in captains Rey Perez and Ray Wells. Perez will start at right guard, with Wells at right tackle. Among the other players making up the Spartan line are John McCarthy, Noah Romans, Scott Weldon and Steve Panduri.

Tight end Ricky Lyster will also sure up the offensive line, while Ocean also has some athletic players at the wide receiver position in Rodney Coursey, Shawn Goodwin, Brandon Robinson and Matt Geiger.

On the defensive side of the ball the team has almost an entirely new look from last season. With many of the key defensive players playing on both sides of the ball, Klein will have to rely heavily on his team's conditioning.

Defensively, the team will start Wells and Kurt Augustave at defensive tackle, and Lyster and Winders at defensive end.

The linebacker unit will consist of Chris Spirito, Perez and Anthony Mango, while the defensive secondary will feature Coursey, Jefferson, Tirado, Cowley and Robinson, with Goodwin manning the "money" position, which plays like a linebacker/ safety.

"This is one of the toughest bunch of guys I've seen in all my years of playing and coaching," said Klein. "They are big guys who can run and hit. What they are lacking in experience they make up for in athleticism and intensity."

With a tough schedule looming, Ocean will need to play well from the start this year if they have any hopes of defending the Federal Division title.

The Spartans are hoping they can manufacture enough offense through the first five games before Whittaker joins the action. His addition could make the Spartans one of the more dangerous teams in the Shore late in the season.

However, should they struggle early, his addition may be a case of too little, too late.