The Saints are ready to be unleashed in 2015. A winning 2014 season worthy of being proud of, was yet met with disappointment by the Saints standards at 5-5. The Saints know that the only way to get better is to get bigger and that’s been a major focus of the team in the off-season. Sandalwood’s offensive line is led by senior Guard Chris Shuman (5’10ft, 300lbs), who is a hard worker and one of the strongest players on the team benching 400 lbs. Sophmore Hamilton Hawthrone is a very hard worker and could see a lot of playing time on both the O-line and D-line. Junior Tackle Sincere David stands 6’3ft 315lbs, and Henry Brooks (JR) is 6’4ft 330lbs anchoring a massive offensive line. 
The line is charged with protecting Senior Eli Peters. Peters, a commit to University of Illinois will look to captain the explosive Saints offense; an offense that will rely on Senior Wide Receiver Phil Benker to make big plays down field. Benker, who has committed to Indiana, uses his physicality to compliment his height and speed well. Peters also will use several compliments to his game to fuel the offense such as his pocket presence, arm strength, and running ability. Should be entertaining to watch the Saints toss the pig skin around in 2015.
On defense,Ameer Speed is a long rangy corner standing 6’4ft weighing 200lbs. This mo doubt is where the saints defense starts. He has the potential to be one of the nation’s top players by season’s end. Senior Linebackers SaDarren Moody, John Clayton and Javon Darling will be in charge of controlling opposing offenses. Clayton is in the 300lb club on the bench press, and will use his strength to rush the passer. Moody transfers from Fletcher to add physicality to a defense that lacked it last year. Darling adds quickness and explosiveness to the unit which should make the defense versatile against different offensive units.
Roster
| 1 | Daniel Bender | WR | Sr. | 5-8 | 160 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Jacquez Williams | C, SS | Sr. | 6-2 | 185 |
| 3 | Darius Williams | FB | Sr. | 5-8 | 210 |
| 4 | Devonte Harrison | RB, CB | Sr. | 5-10 | 180 |
| 5 | Quinn Lizzmore | SS, CB | Jr. | 5-10 | 180 |
| 7 | Sammy “the jet” Francois | WR, CB | Jr. | 5-9 | 165 |
| 8 | Phil Benker | WR | Sr. | 6-2 | 200 |
| 9 | Ameer Speed | CB | Jr. | 6-3 | 190 |
| 10 | Brayden Matts | FS | Jr. | 6-1 | 185 |
| 12 | Eli Peters | QB | Sr. | 6-3 | 210 |
| 13 | Bradley Jennings jr | OLB, MLB | Jr. | 6-2 | 220 |
| 14 | Rz Mccorker | WR | So. | 5-9 | 160 |
| 15 | Edwin Carter | WR | So. | 6-3 | 170 |
| 16 | Johnathan”ducky” Walton | WR | Sr. | 5-9 | 145 |
| 19 | Josh Collins | WR | Sr. | 6-5 | 185 |
| 19 | Smith Kyle | QB | So. | 6-0 | 175 |
| 20 | Dale Fisher ii | FB, MLB | Sr. | 6-0 | 230 |
| 21 | Antonio Benker | RB, WR | Fr. | ||
| 22 | Wade L. perrier | MLB | Jr. | 6-3 | 215 |
| 23 | Alex Penn | FS | Jr. | 5-10 | 175 |
| 24 | Javaughn Darling | DE, OLB | Sr. | 6-2 | 215 |
| 25 | Zay Mchellon | RB | So. | 5-8 | 175 |
| 26 | Mesih Powell | CB | So. | 5-10 | 165 |
| 27 | Joshua Steward | RB | Jr. | 5-7 | 190 |
| 28 | Josh Mcmillan | FB | Sr. | 5-8 | 240 |
| 31 | Trevor Graham | CB | Sr. | 6-2 | 180 |
| 32 | Logan Wright | Jr. | |||
| 33 | Cameron Davis | OLB | Jr. | 6-3 | 235 |
| 37 | John Murnin | K | Sr. | 5-8 | 145 |
| 40 | Andrew Motley 2nd | RB | Fr. | 5-0 | 129 |
| 44 | Malcolm Lee | OLB | Sr. | ||
| 53 | Henry Brooks | T, G | Jr. | 6-4 | 330 |
| 55 | Chris Allen | C, DT | Jr. | 5-10 | 250 |
| 56 | Jonathan Clayton | DE, DT | Sr. | 6-3 | 270 |
| 64 | Sa Darren Moody | DE, DT | Sr. | ||
| 72 | Hamilton Hawthorne | G | So. | 6-2 | 290 |
| 75 | Chris Shuman | G, C | Sr. | 5-10 | 300 |
| 76 | Luis Lebron | G | Jr. | 6-4 | 335 |
| 77 | Sincere David | T, DT | Jr. | 6-2 | 310 |
2014 Recap & 2015 Outlook
8A Standings District 1
| Teams | Wins | Losses | Ties | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Coast | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4-0 |
| Flagler Palm Coast |
8 | 2 | 0 | 3-1 |
| Mandarin | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2-2 |
| Sandawood | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1-3 |
| West Port Ocala |
3 | 6 | 0 | 0-4 |
The Saints 5-5 season would be celebrated at other schools, but it left a bad taste in their mouths. Especially since the Saints went 1-3 in the district, and were not competitive against their rival Fletcher.
But a win against Parker allowed the Saints to end on a positive note, and the feeling should roll into this season. Coach Adam Geis in his 13th season as the Saints head man is known for bounce back seasons. In 2005 when the Saints went 5-5, the next season they went 8-5 and made the playoffs, so Coach Geis knows how to rejuvenate winners. He’ll have a hard working coaching staff to push the players, including Coaching stalwart Dennis Bartley who’s played and coached at Sandalwood. With a committed coaching staff, and hard working roster of players, there’s no reason not to believe Coach Geis will have the Saints atop their division in 2015.
Special Thanks to Coach Adam Geis, the Sandalwood football team, and DreamKingz Films.
To support Sandalwood through sponsorship, please e-mail : guzzonel@duvalschools.org
