On a team with 18 returning starters and 26 seniors, it can be easy for an underclassman to get lost in the shuffle.

Not at Lakes, where a trio of sophomores have cracked the starting lineup.

“Age makes no difference,” sophomore offensive tackle Zach Banner said. “Everybody – seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen – are working to get better.”

What kind of an impact can a lowly sophomore make?

Quite a bit, actually.

There’s quarterback Cedric Dozier, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound speed demon with a strong arm. Mane Manaea is a starting outside linebacker who boasts speed. Then there’s Banner. By all accounts he has an incredible work ethic and, at 6-foot-8, 290 pounds, already has the build of an NFL lineman as a 16-year-old.

All three will play key roles when the second-ranked Lancers (1-0 SPSL 3A, 1-0 overall) host No. 9 Peninsula (1-0, 1-0) at 7 tonight at Harry E. Lang Stadium in Lakewood.

“These young guys are competitive,” Lakes coach Dave Miller said. “The older kids respect them because they see the effort they give. These guys are hungry and it’s refreshing.”

Banner garnered attention before he even started a game at Lakes. He played sparingly as a freshman, mostly seeing action at the end of blowouts and on special teams. The University of Washington had seen enough to offer him a football scholarship in the spring.

Banner didn’t let the Huskies’ overture go to his head. He worked even harder. He went on a diet that consisted of “mostly bread and water” and during the spring and summer, he ran extra sprints long after his teammates had gone home. By the start of practice a month ago, he had lost 45 pounds from his freshman playing weight.

“We’d be in passing league and I remember seeing Zach over on the sidelines running by himself,” Dozier said. “No one can say anything about his work ethic.”

Dozier is making a positive impact, too. He’s also following a path that only one Lancer has been down.

“It’s pretty rare for us to have a sophomore quarterback,” Miller said. “This is only the second time in about 25 years we’ve had that. The only other one was my son, Drew.”

Dozier’s time as the Lancers’ signal caller had a nice start. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for another two scores in Lakes’ season-opening 48-18 win at Bonney Lake. Dozier’s speed and running ability have never been questioned, but he knew he had to improve his throwing accuracy and worked on that aspect. He threw to receiver Tyler Rogers at Pioneer Middle School in Steilacoom and attended a quarterback camp at the University of Oregon.

“For some reason, something just clicked when I was in Eugene,” he said. “My spirals have been tighter and my accuracy is better. It made me want to work even harder.”

Where did Dozier learn that practice? From seniors, of course.

“There were a couple guys last year that used to bring everyone together and push everyone to be better,” he said. “That’s a model I want to follow.”

Doug Pacey: 253-597-8271

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