Critchlow Looking to Take Jaguars to Next Level

With the 2011 high school football season just hours away, the Seckman Jaguars are hoping first year head coach Jamie Critchlow can take the school to its first season at or above the .500 mark since 2006.

Critchlow spent the previous two seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator in which Seckman averaged 25.8 points per game. Before coming to Seckman, Critchlow previously served as the head football coach at Tyler Junior College and as an offensive coordinator at Texas A&M University in Commerce. Currently the Jaguars are slated to have five starters return on offense and three returning starters on defense.

The Jaguars recently participated in the Oakville Senior High jamboree in which they had a solid showing, their first year head coach said.

“I thought we had a good showing,” Critchlow said. “There’s still a few things that we can improve on, but I think we have a good bunch of scrappy guys that make good decisions on the field.”

One Jaguar to keep an eye on this season is senior running back Blake Pepper, who carried the ball 284 times last season for 1,575 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns. Pepper should be one of the cornerstones to the Jaguars option styled offense this season.

“Blake has really picked up right where he left off last year,” Critchlow said. “He had nearly 2,000 yards rushing last year and we’re looking for big things from him this season.”

Another player on offense who’s expected to have a breakout season is senior wide receiver/cornerback Zach Naes, who racked up 259 yards receiving on just 18 receptions. Naes scored two touchdowns at wide receiver and also had 20 kickoff returns for 449 yards.

“Zach is the kind of player that will do anything you ask him to do,” Critchlow said. “He’ll get the job done when you ask him to do it.”

Senior Justin Liescheidt will head up the offensive and defensive lines this season. On defense, Liescheidt recorded 33 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery for the Jaguars last year.

“Justin’s one of those player’s that’s a diligent, hard worker,” Critchlow said. “You can always depend on him to do the right thing every day out on the field.”

At tight end and defensive end this season is junior Zach Martin who had 29 yards receiving and four tackles as a sophomore.

“Zach has solid hands,” Critchlow said. “He’s still working on his blocking skills, but he’s a real hard worker.”

Seckman opens up the 2011 season this Friday evening at home against Parkway Central with a 7 p.m. start.