A young team for the Briarwood Lions

Last year the Briarwood Christian Lions were loaded with 39 seniors on the team. Eighteen of the 22 starters were seniors. The season reflected this strength when they ended with a 7-0 record in the region, and a 12-2 record overall.

They were state 5A runners-up.

“At spring training last year, we knew we’d have a really strong team based on the number of kids coming back, but this year we won’t have that luxury,” said Coach Fred Yancey, who is starting his 43rd year as a coach.

Practically every position is staffed with new starters. Ben Craft, who was the quarterback and punter last season, moved to the next level and is at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Daniel Robert, a two-year starter who played wide receiver last year, took some snaps at quarterback in the spring, but that position is still up in the air.

A bright spot for the team is that 6-foot, 1-inch, 255-pound lineman Jonathan Paramore had a lot of playing time last year and will be back to anchor this year’s offensive line.

The backfield and receiving corps are essentially new. The defensive line, linebackers and three of the four in the defensive backfield are also new.

Special teams are also a question. The coaches didn’t work on special teams in the spring. Yancey is putting those teams together in late summer when the team gets ready for the 2012 season.

Depth is another concern for the Lions. “Last year we had some difficult injuries, but we had a strong class,” Yancey said. Again, they won’t have that luxury this year.

Yancey is still optimistic about his young roster of 89 kids. “They work hard and they care,” he said. He feels it will just be a matter of getting them good enough in a hurry. The team managed to get through spring training without getting banged up, so they’ll be healthy in the fall.

Also a change for the Lions is their 2012 region schedule. They will not play Chelsea but will play Homewood, who will probably be the favorite in the region this year. Some other teams on the schedule include Shelby County, Talladega and Sylacauga.

The key to success this year according to Yancey is patience. If the players understand that it takes time and effort to get to where they need to be, and they are willing to invest in both, he feels they’ll be okay. “We have a bunch of new guys, and they’ll have to prove they can play.”