By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Many of the players on the Renton Rangers 14U squad may be new to the game, but Head Coach Louis Reed, who had a standout collegiate career at Southern University, is optimistic and confident that his team will have a productive season.
Starting the season with just 13 players, Reed went to work teaching, preaching, and recruiting. After the Jamboree, his roster rose to 25 players, and at that moment, Reed says he could see the potential.
“I just recently signed quite a few kids,” says Reed. “I started off having about thirteen. From the Jamboree to the first game, now I have 25 kids, so I’m pretty excited about that. We’ve got nice size and some athletes, good players. I have a bunch of good and bad parts, and a bunch of first-year players.”
“I kind of like that because at that point, they haven’t been taught bad habits,” adds Reed. “They pick up everything I’m teaching them.”
According to Reed, his team is heavy on defense. He is discovering that his players are very aggressive and enjoy contact. The Rangers have both talent and experience on offense, but Reed believes the team’s success will be predicated on their defense as they learn the game.
“They like to hit a lot,” says Reed. “Every day, they want to hit in practice. So, I’ll say defense is our strength.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Rangers have a playmaker in Djaun Ackers, who has the potential to be a game changer.
“He’s a 5’9” wide receiver with a very big upside,” says Reed with a grin. “He’s a potential playmaker and very athletic.”
Another player Reed is excited to see develop is quarterback William Nienaber, a first-year player who also plays defensive end.
“William, this is his first year ever playing football. The kid actually plays very well as a defensive end too,” says Reed. “He’s a skinny kid, but he’s pretty strong, and he picks up the offense very well. He does exactly what I ask him to do. Normally, in the type of offense I run, I would need more of a running-type quarterback, but he gets the ball out like I need him to, and he works hard. He’s a very smart kid.”
In evaluating his talent, Reed is optimistic about his team’s chances to compete as the season progresses. Although his team is young in experience, there is talent to work with, and Reed is excited about that and looks forward to the challenges this season will pose.
Right now, at 0-2, the journey is starting on an incline, and Reed knows there is work still to be done. But in witnessing the growth of his team, Reed is already seeing them come together as they challenge one another to be better. From the smallest to the largest players, they are holding each other accountable, and according to Reed, they are going to “make some noise.”
“We are going to make some noise,” says Reed. “The first game was pretty rough, and they put us up against a well-coached team with lots of numbers. We played Parkland in the first game, and we got our butts handed to us, but I’ve had this happen to me before, and I ended up in the championship.”
“I’ve got 25 kids with the possibility of maybe having 30 by Friday, so I’ve got numbers now,” added Reed. “I wish I had a few bigger guys, but I’ve got some guys that can hold it on the line. My team is always willing to challenge one another. I love that, and the little guys will call out the big guys, and you know, they’re not afraid to say, ‘Hey, let’s go in here, let’s do it.’ Like I told them, the other team is not going to look at you and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to send our smallest guy at you.’ They’re going to probably send the biggest guy at you. So, prepare yourself.”
According to Reed, it’s a battle every weekend, especially competing in a league like NW Premier. Football is a brotherhood, and Reed conducts his program in the same manner as he would his family. Once you are on this team, the expectation is for the young athletes to become better players and form lasting friendships—brothers—through football.
“This is where we do our brotherhood,” says Reed. “This is where we break bread. I want them to always feel like this. Some of them go to school together, some of them don’t. I’m from this neighborhood; this is where they come together. This gives them the opportunity to bond, establish friendships—they are all brothers.”
