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West Side: Long on potential
Updated: August 18, 2011 6:38PM
It was time for a break during a recent West Side practice, so 6-foot-6 wide receiver Regan Atkins walked over to the stands to take a moment.
Thing is, there’s a fence about four feet high between the field and the stands.
No problem for Atkins, whose long legs stick out on his lanky frame. Instead of going around — which was only about 15 feet of extra walking — he literally stepped over the fence without much effort.
“It’s too much hassel to walk around,” Atkins joked.
Showing off his physical traits? Maybe, but who wouldn’t?
With those attributes, he’ll be playing basketball come winter, but he didn’t hesitate about which he liked better.
“I love football,” he said.
So was it laziness? Not a chance, especially when Atkins and several of his teammates took it upon themselves to keep the momentum of a very good season last year despite not having new head coach Jason Johnson announced and subsequently approved until a few weeks before practice began.
“We’ve put in our work in the offseason. The seniors, we got together out here and kept ourselves up in conditioning,” Atkins said. “Coach (Alex) Pratt started that a couple years ago. He made it mandatory to participate in offseason workouts and we stay serious about that.”
Atkins, who moved into Gary from Columbus, Ohio, after his freshman year, is also serious about his grades, with a 3.0 grade-point average.
And Johnson is serious about making up for lost time in trying to get Atkins ready for the next level.
“He’s 6-foot-6 with a great vertical leap — I’ve never coached a kid like that,” Johnson said. “What bothers me most is that I didn’t have the whole summer to work with him. Wide receiver, that’s my thing. I’m a wide receivers coach, and I didn’t have a chance to get my hands on him.”
What would Johnson have worked on most with Atkins if he had been given the time earlier in the summer?
“From what I’ve seen, he’s really good at the short and intermediate routes, but believe it or not, he’s not good at tracking the deep ball,” Johnson said. “I only caught him at the end of summer camp and I think he could be one of the best receivers to ever go to this school — up there with OJ Conner, Jerry White and Frank Johnson.”
And of course, Barry McCarter, who produced gaudy numbers last year before heading to Indiana State to continue his football career.
McCarter was hanging out at practice the first week before leaving for ISU, and Atkins took advantage of the opportunity.
“I ask him for help since he’s playing college football now, see if he can help my game,” Atkins said. “He cares about West Side football and the players that come after him.”
That’s why Atkins and his senior teammates don’t want to let graduates such as McCarter down after being a part of a West Side football renaissance.
Coach
Jason Johnson
Record
0-0 (first year at school)
Last season
Lost 54-20 to Morton in sectional final
Key returnees
WR Regan Atkins, Sr.
RB Deante Mahome, Jr.
LB DeVante Dixon, Sr.
WR Roderick Jones, Sr.
Key Losses
LB Antonio Smothers
QB Marquis Wells
WR Barry McCarter
DL Matthew Robinson
College prospects
WR Regan Atkins
RB Deante Mahome
WR Roderick Jones
Season outlook
First-year coach Jason Johnson has a lot to live up to after West Side’s effort last season. And he knows it. The Cougars went 6-6, reaching the sectional final for the first time. Now they have to follow that up after losing two players who made their mark on program history.
“We graduated the best quarterback (Marquis Wells) in the history of the school and the best wide receiver (Barry McCarter) in the history of the school,” Johnson said. “But there’s definitely still talent out here.”
That’s especially true at the skill positions, with Regan Atkins and Roger Jones at wideout and DeAnte Mahome at running back. Johnson did send out a plea to any big kids at West Side. “Any guys weighing 200 pounds or more, come out for football,” he said. “We could use some more linemen.”
That will be the key for the Cougars, especially with their schedule getting tougher — they play at Andrean in Week 3. Finding a QB comparable to Wells so the playmakers get the ball is also imperative.
Postseason
Class 4A Sectional 9 (East Chicago, Roosevelt, West Side, Griffith, Hammond, Clark, Morton, Highland)
Schedule
Aug. 19 at Hobart
Aug. 26 at Chicago Bowen
Sept. 2 at Andrean
Sept. 9 Chicago Curie
Sept. 16 Hammond
Sept. 24 Dayton Marshall (Ohio)
Sept. 30 Morton
Oct. 7 at Lew Wallace
Oct. 14 at Roosevelt
HISTORY LESSON
Season Record
2001 1-7, 0-3
2002 2-6, 1-3
2003 1-7, 0-3
2004 6-5, 2-1
2005 4-6, 2-1
2006 2-6, 1-2
2007 3-7, 1-2
2008 4-4, 3-0
2009 6-4, 3-0
2010 6-6. 2-0
Sectional titles: None
Roster
No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.
12 Curtis Lee 5-1 170 11 WR/CB
13 Roderick Jones 6-2 185 12 WR/CB
14 Ramone Atkins 5-8 220 9 QB/DL
15 Regan Atkins-Frazier 6-5 178 12 WR
16 Wynton Jones 5-7 135 10 QB
17 Previon Williams 6-2 190 12 QB
20 Phillip Millard 5-1 146 12 CB
21 Nate Bride 5-9 170 11 WR/CB
24 Deante Mahome 6-0 195 12 RB
26 Ariean Smith 6-2 190 11 TE/CB
27 Christopher Thompson 6-1 171 11 WR/CB
30 Lonnie Johnson 6-2 171 10 SS
31 Dontrail Austin 5-6 150 9 RB/LB
32 DeVante Dixon 5-9 220 12 RB/LB
33 Horace Rogers 5-1 162 10 SS
34 Barry Gatlin 5-1 128 10 WR
35 Isaiah Farmer 6-0 180 10 SS
40 Archie Shaw Jr. 5-6 130 10 RB/LB
42 Torre Hopson 6-1 194 11 RB/LB
44 Malcolm Jordan 5-9 195 10 RB/LB
45 Marcus Barnes 5-1 185 11 LB
50 DeAndre Jones 6-0 202 12 OL/DE
58 DeAnthony Hall 5-2 180 10 OL/DT
59 Jonte Robinson 6-0 212 12 OL/LB
60 Tyvon Tell 6-1 230 12 OL/DE
66 Tycel Haynes 6-1 230 11 OL/DE
67 Thaddeus Conley 5-1 280 11 C
70 Russell Eison 6-1 265 11 OL/NG
72 Anthony Cherry 5-1 307 10 OL/NG
74 LaTroy Johnson 5-7 211 9 OL/NG
75 Avery Nash 6-0 225 10 OL
78 Kahlil Clay 5-1 290 9 OL/NG
81 Khalil Upshaw 6-1 145 10 WR/CB
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