Gavit: Leading the way

Updated: August 18, 2011 6:03PM

Tashon Rogers has gotten a taste of winning.

And he likes it quite a bit.

The Gladiators, however, haven’t seen many winning seasons lately. In fact, Gavit hasn’t had a winning season since 2003, when the school finished 7-4. Gavit is just 9-31 over the last four seasons.

But new head coach Robert Robinson and his young quarterback are trying to change all of that.

“I’m looking forward to this year,” Rogers said. “I think the team is going to be way better than last year’s team. We’ve been working really hard this summer and I’ve tried to step up and be a leader to show the team effort and get this program started early. That’s the only way we’re going to get good.

“This team hasn’t had great success in the past so this time we’re looking to turn it around.”

Robinson said his young quarterback has shown leadership ever since he became a starter midway through his freshman season.

And he’s even better at leading and playing his position than last fall.

“He never takes a day off. The kids respect him as the leader of the football team and he’s not afraid to call anybody out,” said Robinson, who coached gunslinger quarterback Antwion McGee, Jr. at Hammond. “He’s the true leader of the team and we’re going to go as he goes. He’s night and day this year as far as his confidence level and his ability.

“His mechanics and his demeanor are stronger. He has that fire burning inside and he’s like me where he hates to lose and it’s starting to permeate across the team.

All summer long we have had 30-plus kids coming in the summer and it’s carried over to the fall.”

Teammate Andre Rhea, who plays offensive line and linebacker, calls Rogers a winner.

“He’s a monster,” Rhea said. “He’s got mad skills and a running game. I think he’s going to lead the region in passing.”

Gavit will back off the power-I running game it used last season and put the ball in Rogers’ hands more.

The Gladiators should be tested early with the season opener on the road against Calumet.

“We’re going to put the ball in Tashon’s hands and let him make decisions throwing the ball and running the ball because our strength is speed,” Robinsons said. “We have speed across the field.

“Defensively, we’re going to run a 3-4 and we’re going to come at you. Too many times last year we were standing around and catching instead of attacking. We’re going to put pressure on teams. It’s going to be a whole new Gavit.”

Coach

Robert Robinson

Record

At school: 0-0 (first year)

Overall: 22-11 (fourth year)

Last season

Lost 34-14 to New Prairie in the sectional opener

Key returnees

QB Tashon Rogers

RB/DB Ledarius Crenshaw

WR/DB Aryk Rivoli-Johnson

OL/LB Andre Rhea

WR/DB Michael Moore

Key losses

RB/DE Christian Ellison

RB/DB Deandre Gilmore

OL/DL Markus Cruz

Season outlook

Robert Robinson takes the helm this season after having three winning seasons at Hammond from 2007-09. Robinson joined the staff last year and ran the offense under Scott Oman. Robinson is expecting to turn things around like he did at Hammond. “I think it’s just changing the culture and changing the levels of expectation,” Robinson said. “The fact that there were times guys weren’t showing up for practice (last year) and you have to let them know that’s not OK. We got rid of some of those guys and the team is so much more cohesive now and that makes a world of difference.”

Gavit has been fluctuating between 40 to 50 players on the roster, which is one its biggest in recent history. Robinson said he even had a depth chart where he can plug in two guys for one position and not feel like there’s a letdown. QB Tashon Rogers has another year experience for the Gladiators. Rogers was the starting QB as a freshman last season and helped the team win three games for the first time since 2005. The defense will be led by sophomore linebacker Andre Rhea.

Postseason

Class 3A Sectional 17 (Calumet, Culver Academy, Lew Wallace, Gavit, John Glenn, Knox, Mishawaka Marian, South Bend St. Joseph’s)

Schedule

Aug. 19 at Calumet

Aug. 26 Whiting

Sept. 2 South Bend Riley

Sept. 9 at E.C. Central

Sept. 16 at Roosevelt

Sept. 23 Delphi

Sept. 30 Clark

Oct. 7 Hammond

Oct. 14 at Morton

HISTORY LESSON

Season Record

2001 5-7, 2-3

2002 3-8, 2-4

2003 7-4, 5-2

2004 5-6, 4-3

2005 3-8, 1-6

2006 2-8, 1-6

2007 2-8, 0-3

2008 2-8, 0-3

2009 2-8, 0-3

2010 4-6, 1-2

Sectional titles: 1986

Roster

Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

Jesus Campos 5-10 165 12 RB/LB

Ledarius Crenshaw 5-9 170 12 RB/DB

Ezell Dennis 5-10 185 12 TE/LB

Glen Doughty 5-9 190 12 PK/P

Jatwon Johnson 6-0 255 12 OL/DL

Michael Moore 5-9 150 12 WR/DB

Steve Pearson 5-9 160 12 RB/DB

Leo Sawyers 5-8 180 12 OL/DL

Kyle Bear 5-9 200 11 RB/LB

Christian Castro 6-0 320 11 OL/DL

Ramiro Cazarez 5-8 160 11 WR/DB

Thomas Garcia 5-5 190 11 OL/DL

Jacob Jiminez 5-11 230 11 OL/DL

Robert Kennedy 5-9 155 11 RB/LB

Brandon Kretchmer 5-7 155 11 WR/DB

Derrick Medley 6-0 215 11 OL/LB

Mike Pajdzik 5-10 255 11 OL/DL

Desean Reese 5-9 240 11 TE/LB

Billy Regi 5-10 255 11 OL/DL

Aryk Rivoli-Johnson 5-8 150 11 WR/DB

Adam Trevino 5-6 140 11 RB/DB

Mike Walker 5-8 145 11 WR/DB

Andrew White 5-10 180 11 RB/LB

Paris Bradley 5-6 130 10 WR/DB

Miles Brooks 5-10 180 10 TE/LB

Ethan Ellison 6-0 150 10 QB/LB

Jacob Kennedy 5-7 140 10 WR/DB

Gabe Mendoza 5-7 185 10 OL/DL

Andre Rhea 6-0 260 10 OL/LB

Richard Rogers-Morris 5-7 150 10 WR/DB

Tashon Rogers 5-9 160 10 QB/DB

Nate Torres 5-7 170 10 OL/DL

Robert Washick 5-8 170 10 RB/LB

Kameron Woods 5-7 165 10 RB/LB

Dante Adams 5-9 160 9 WR/DB

Michael Anguiano 5-8 160 9 OL/DL

Jermaine Buchanan 5-4 125 9 WR/DB

Josh Bush 6-0 185 9 OL/DL

Tyler Carlen 5-10 175 9 OL/DL

Bernardo Diaz 5-5 150 9 OL/DL

Josh Lumbreras 5-6 130 9 WR/DB

Dionte Nichols 5-7 140 9 WR/DB

Marcus Smith 5-8 145 9 WR/DB

David Ramirez 5-6 140 9 QB/DB

Thomas Shelton 5-4 150 9 OL/DL

Brandon Targos 5-5 125 9 RB/DB

Kacee Woods 5-8 215 9 TE/LB

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