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Now, nobody can slow him down. A junior wide receiver for the Grace Brethren High football team, Sproat quickly has become an offensive star in the Lancers' pass-happy system. Until his freshman year, Sproat never even played a sport with a ball, instead participating in martial arts for nine years. So how has he transformed himself into one of the county's best wide receivers in less than three years? "I'm fast, that's all," said Sproat, the county's leading receiver with 289 yards. "All I do is run and catch. That's all I can do." But that's not all the 5-foot-8, 165-pound slot receiver who also starts at cornerback can do, according to his teammates and coaches. "He has that sixth gear. You don't get it a lot," said first-year head coach Mark Hoefler, who was Grace Brethren's defensive coordinator for the previous five seasons. "He's very coachable. In the middle of a game, he'll remind me that another player needs to get playing time at cornerback. He thinks about his teammates."
Sproat, who lives in Moorpark, leads the Lancers (2-1 overall) with 17 catches for 286 yards and five touchdowns through three games. After defeating Village Christian of Sun Valley 2821 last Friday, Grace Brethren plays Channel Islands of Oxnard for homecoming at Moorpark College tonight at 7 p.m. The 0-4 Raiders, who also run a spread offense, lost 28-14 to Calabasas last week, and have been shut out three times this year. The slot receiver, who has fought off double and triple teams, has skillfully transferred his expertise in martial arts onto the football field, as coaches rave about his sure hands, strong handeye coordination and ability to create space against defensive backs. Being the fastest guy on campus doesn't hurt either. "He's the fastest guy on our team, hands down," Hoefler said. "He runs a legit 4.5 (second 40-yard dash). He's close to 4.4. . . . We don't know how fast he really is. He runs just fast enough to beat the other guy." Playing in a spread offense with four wide receivers most of the time sure helps Sproat, who is flanked by fellow receivers Ryan Whitman and Nate Rushing, running back Ryan Curnel and quarterback Kevin Ramay. Freshman Max Leffler starts at safety and also contributes at wide receiver. The Lancers, who went 2-8 in 2006, are benefiting from an offensive line that returned intact this season. Sam Leffler is a senior center; Gabe Crooks is a junior left guard; Jerry McClure is a sophomore right guard; senior Garrett Henry starts at left tackle; and senior Chris Tugwell mans right tackle. Grace Brethren is also adjusting well to new offensive coordinator Ty Twine, who learned the system in a matter of weeks, according to Hoefler. With the line in place, Sproat and Ramay, both juniors, have also continued fortifying their chemistry. "We know what we're thinking and know exactly what to do on a play," Ramay said. "We study film together. We know how the other thinks, and we know how to react to a certain situation." "If we just look at each other at the line before a play, we know what's going on," said Sproat, who was born in Leander, Texas, before moving to Washington, Oregon and finally California. Averaging almost 39 points per game, it's clear that the offense has lifted the Lancers before Tri-Valley League action kicks off at Oak Park on Oct. 12. "The strength of this team is our ability to strike," Sproat said. "If we're down, all we need is one big play and then we're back in the game and ready to roll." |
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