SANTEE — Corey Wright and the Lake Marion Gators hope the third year will be the charm as they take aim for success in 2008.

The Gators have only recorded two wins in as many years. Still, Wright and his team remain optimistic about the upcoming season.

“Being their third year in the system offensively and defensively,” Wright said, “everything seems to be coming together. We’ve got a few new pieces meshing with the old pieces. Right now, we’re able to install a whole lot more than we have been in the past.”

Lake Marion lost seven seniors from last year’s roster, including DeAndre Yeadon and Jeremy Vincent. Wright knows that plugging the holes left by those who graduated isn’t all that simple.

“We can’t depend on one person to replace kids like that,” Wright said. “Both Jeremy and Yeadon did a lot for us, but we have some kids that we feel are capable of stepping right in.”

Senior quarterback Chris Johnson (5-8 160) will lead the Gator offense with the help of senior running back Nick Williams (5-6, 140). Johnson will have a talented set of receivers to throw to in senior Taiwan Elmore (6-0, 175), and juniors Sheldon Bradshaw (5-11, 170) and Kenny Fabiyi (5-11, 165).

One of the biggest factors that will determine whether Lake Marion succeeds or fails, according to Wright, is the offensive line. For the past two years, the Gators have fielded a young group of linemen to battle at the line of scrimmage. This year, the Gators hope the experience they’ve gained from those two seasons will help them.

“They’ve grasped the system,” Wright said, “and they are, pretty much, beginning to do everything that our offensive line coach, Ben Wright, is asking them to do.”

The Lake Marion offensive line will be anchored by juniors Mike Green (6-3, 295) and Thomas Montgomery (6-4, 260). Defensively, senior linebacker Marcellus Tilly (5-9, 180), a second-team All-Area selection a season ago after recording 165 tackles, two sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles, will return as one of 2007’s six starters. Helping Tilly keep offenses at bay are senior defensive tackle Jeremy Bookhart (6-1, 265), senior defensive end Steven Mack (6-0, 210) and junior linebacker Tyshawn Washington (5-9, 190).

The physical growth and mental maturity of the Gators could put them in a position to turn their program around. According to Wright, growth and maturity are his team’s biggest strengths.

“Where we had a couple of seniors last year that we could really depend on,” he said, “we have more of an effectiveness as a whole from the senior class this year, not just from two or three kids that pulled their load.”

The last two seasons have been everything but what Lake Marion had hoped for. After going through the growing pains of learning what were new offensive and defensive schemes, Lake Marion has its sights set on the primary goal.

“We personally believe that we ought to be in contention for the region championship,” Wright said.

“We’ve improved enough in all of our areas that we think that’s where we should be.”

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