Sports

Taking responsibility

Page quarterback follows in the footsteps for last year's record holder

By Candace Begody
Navajo Times

WINDOW ROCK, Aug. 18, 2011

Until Lance John came along it was rare to see the Page Sand Devils look to a Navajo quarterback to carry the team on his shoulders.

But that changed at last season's end when three-year head coach Jonathan Prather saw no other person with the potential to lead the team.

"This team is yours," were the words Prather said to John, a senior quarterback for the Sand Devils, after the team's season ended last year. "You need to find your identity on this team, you need to become the leader that you are destined to be and that the team needs, and do what's best for the program."

These were words John, 17, of Bitter Springs, Ariz., had never heard before as he was living in the shadows of the school's all-state quarterback, Ryan Keisling, who broke almost every passing record in the area.

Last year Keisling led the team to the state finals, the team's first appearance since the late 1990s.

"Last year I was just a backup and no one really expected much from me," said John, who was only called upon during blowout games. "I had to fill in other positions like running back, but not quarterback."

Not only was John, "just a backup," but also according to Prather, "Lance had issues with grades, dedication, and other things."

But since Prather challenged John to workout in the off-season in preparation for leading the team this season, John agreed and stepped up to the plate.

"I didn't understand what he meant," John said of Prather's words, "but I embraced all the weight that would be on my shoulders."

Prather worked one-on-one with John in the off-season hitting the field and weight room from winter to spring. John drove the 30 miles from his home three to four times a week to make practice, which included running hills, sprinting the turf, lifting weights, and other conditioning drills.

"He is trying to follow in the footsteps of last year's quarterback and I told him it would be a challenge," Prather said. "I told him he had to be dedicated. He just said, 'OK. I'm in. I'm ready.'"

John even opted out of other sports to train, a choice that paid off as Prather witnessed a transformation.

"He learned very quickly how to be a leader of this team - a team that everyone expects to go to state," Prather said. "In the past, some of the things that distracted him were sometimes the things that made him make bad choices.Ó

"He's come a long way from being in the shadow of the school record-holder and I am very proud of him," Prather added. "I expect my quarterback to be the leader of the team, the general, and the presence in the locker room and the weight room. He's grown tremendously."

Still, months in training did not rid the team of its doubters.

"A lot of people think I won't be able to fill the shoes, carry the team, and we won't be successful," John said. "We have people telling us everyday that we're not going to be as good as last year. But some players take that and work with it and use it to motivate them."

Those players include his entire offensive line.

"I give a lot of credit to them," John said of his all-Navajo offensive line. "The team is riding on them and they play a pretty big role in our success down the road. I push them every day to work hard and they push me."

Now that practice has officially started, John is already eyeing the postseason.

"That is the goal for every football team," John said when asked about making another trip to the state finals. "It'll come down to outworking your opponent."

To be able to outwork your opponent, John said, most of the work will have to be done everyday at practice.

"I ask myself everyday, 'Did I work my hardest? Did I give it my all?' If the answer is no, I'll just go down and down and won't succeed."

That concept doesn't just apply to football either.

"You have to work your hardest in life, in football and in the classroom," John said. "Football is just another part of life and you always have to push yourself."

For now, Prather said John and the rest of the Sand Devils will test their strength as they travel to Red Rock High in Sedona for their upcoming scrimmage Aug. 18.

"He will be a dual threat - he can run and he can pass," Prather said. "Lance is going to do a great things - rushing and passing - because he has a solid offensive line in front of him and he has the talent around him.

"Right now I have some running backs and receivers that will be a threat too so teams don't always key off Lance," he added. "I can't remember the last time we had a Navajo quarterback lead us to state. I don't know if that's ever happened at this school but that's what we've been working for."

Page will travel to Coconino High on Aug. 15 for its first regular season game. The rest of the Sand Devil's schedule is as follows: on Sept. 2 Page will host Blue Ridge, on Sept. 9 Page will travel to Chinle, on Sept. 16 Page will host Red Mesa, on Sept. 23 Page will travel to Kayenta, on Sept. 30 Page will travel to Williams, on Oct. 7 Page will host Snowflake, on Oct. 14 Page will host Window Rock for their homecoming game, on Oct. 21 Page will travel to Tuba City, and on Oct. 28 Page will host Flagstaff High.

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