By Andrew Koob

New Castle News

The Laurel High football team needed an identity change.

A power running team a year ago, the Spartans said goodbye to 14 seniors last year, including three of their top four rushers in Matty Conway (567 yards), Clayton Sharek (558) and Chris Peluso (292).

Senior quarterback Jake McDougal and junior wide receiver Jordan Dantico are making the transition as seamless as possible for the Spartans.

In Laurel’s 40-0 nonconference victory over Derry, McDougal racked up 308 passing yards and five touchdowns, completing 17 of his 27 pass attempts.

Dantico was the main benefactor of the Spartans’ air attack, collecting 141 yards and three scores on eight receptions.

The performances earned McDougal and Dantico Lawrence County Co-Athlete of the Week honors, an award sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy and selected by the New Castle News sports staff.

“That’s been a bigger focus of the offense this year,” Laurel coach Brian Cooper said. “In order to beat these teams that are bigger, you have to be able to throw the football and we felt that was one thing that hurt us last year. So there’s been an emphasis all year. In the spring, we started with throwing mechanics. We devote a lot more practice time to it and you have to.

“You have to define what you do as a program and they believe in it and have been working hard at it.”

It helps that the McDougal and Dantico, along with the rest of the Laurel receiving corps, spend so much time together on and off the field.

“We all see each other, we all talk to each other,” McDougal said. “We’re always around each other, we pretty much live at this school between school and practice and lifting in the offseason. We’re all friends, we all enjoy having each other around. We try to have a good time with it.”

That camaraderie is evident on the field. McDougal has thrown for a Lawrence County-best 940 yards and 12 touchdowns, with Dantico (280) and Jacob Wilson (278) taking the top two spots in the county for receiving yards.

The Spartans (1-2 Midwestern Athletic Conference, 2-2 overall) have two other receivers in the top 12 in yards in Isici Layne (fifth, 213) and Jesse Pacifico (12th, 140).

McDougal has been able to spread the wealth around yet Dantico, in his first year playing for the Laurel football team, has been one of the main benefactors.

“Coach tells us that if he’s scrambling one way, find a spot and get open so he can see us and we can make a play,” Dantico said.

Added McDougal, “When I’m scrambling around, he’s always getting open and trying to find the right zone. He’s a big target, he can get up and get the ball. I just try to get it to them whenever I can. And that goes for all of them, they’re all the same size. But Jordan is very athletic, he makes a lot of plays and he’s easy to get the ball to.”

The switch has taken a lot of work for both McDougal and Dantico, with McDougal being a dual-threat quarterback a year ago (he finished last season with 441 rushing yards and 657 passing yards) and Dantico focusing mainly on basketball.

Hard work in the offseason and attention to detail, however, have made the duo a part of the more feared passing attacks in Lawrence County and the MAC.

“Jake’s been playing well all year, I feel like he’s worked very hard on his throwing mechanics from last season,” Cooper said. “We knew he had the ability, it was just making sure that he was consistent with it. He’s been a lot more accurate this year and has picked up his game in terms of throwing the football. You can tell it’s important for them.

“Jordan came out late and what an addition he’s been as far as an athlete. His ability to run and catch, he lifts hard, he’s got great discipline and he’s been a great addition to add onto the other receivers that we have. It adds another dimension to our game.”

(Email: AKoob@ncnewsonline.com)