OAKWOOD -- In plenty of high school football programs kickers and punters are the red-headed step-children of the roster, the guys that coaches don't even want to think about -- until they need them.<br />
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Tony Lotti, however, is always thinking about his kickers -- as well as his kick coverage and return teams -- and not in a "oh, please don't screw up," manner.<br />
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At West Hall special teams is truly special and has been a key to the Spartans' turnaround under Lotti -- and it could be an even bigger key as West Hall moves forward into the Class AAA playoffs this week.<br />
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"Our special teams units are called 'the militia,' and our guys have to try out for it; it's a badge of honor for us," Lotti said. "Every point matters in this game, and you don't want to miss any opportunity to score or make it harder for the other team to score. Special teams is a big part of that."<br />
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What else would you expect from a coach that was a collegiate All-American punter, one that sniffed the NFL?<br />
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"I got invited to camp with the Patriots but eventually got released," Lotti said. "I know the special teams portion of the game. I always say that I like defense and love offense. But my passion is special teams."<br />
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That vision is vividly reflected in the way the Spartans play.<br />
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Between placekicker Bradley Hodgson (11 of 13 field goals converted this season and missed just one of 40 PAT attempts), punter Anthony Lotti (45.9 yard per punt average, with six downed inside the opponents' 20-yard line) and kickoff specialist Cesar Villa, West Hall excels in all three phases of the kicking game. Meanwhile, kick returners Kwon Williams and Ty Statham -- along with Williams on punt returns -- gives West Hall an explosive set of athletes capable of going the distance at any moment. <br />
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"Special teams has been a huge part of our success," said West Hall senior linebacker Jacob Taylor, who has played on every special teams unit on the team at some point this season. "It's huge that we can flip the field on punts and deep kickoffs. It's also big that, if a drive stalls on the opponents' side of the field, we know we have a guy we can rely on to put points on the board."<br />
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No portion of the Spartans' special teams excellence has come easy -- just ask Hodgson.<br />
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The senior endured some rough moments last season, including tough misses in the postseason and regular season.<br />
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"When you have as bad a year as I did last season, you have two choices: get better or quit. I wasn't going to quit," said Hodgson. "So I came out and worked hard every week. I kicked every Sunday, and even focused on it through soccer season."<br />
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That work is paying off handsomely for Hodgson, who is now brimming with confidence and has a 46-yard kick on his resume this season. He also kept the Spartans' offense afloat in the first half of a 23-7 win at Banks County (Oct. 31), drilling three field goals to give the visitors a 9-7 advantage before taking control after the interval.<br />
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It's all part of a learning curve for the senior, who only began receiving coaching in the art of placekicking once Lotti arrived in his sophomore season.<br />
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"Before coach Lotti got here I just used to watch other kickers and sort of guess how I was supposed to do things," Hodgson said. "This offseason I changed some small stuff with how I kick the ball, nothing major -- what it really came down to was the mental side."<br />
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That's why Lotti teaches his kickers as much about the psychology of kicking as the kick itself.<br />
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"It's a mental discipline; you have to wait on the sideline till your number gets called and then go out and perform," Lotti said. "You don't get a second down or third down if something goes wrong. If it was easy I would have 60-odd players out here capable of doing it -- it's a lot harder than people think.<br />
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"And when a kid misses a kick, even a game-winner, I just make sure they understand that it all goes back to the next kick. You just focus on the next kick. It's the same with any position. And it's the same in life."<br />
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That goes for punters as well, something Anthony Lotti -- Tony Lotti's son -- knows well after growing up immersed in a special teams emphasis.<br />
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"Even during the offseason, I'm out here every day working on my technique," said Anthony Lotti, a junior, who has a 72-yard and a 71-yard effort to his name this season. "It's all about muscle memory and the right form."<br />
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Like placekicking it's also about a short memory.<br />
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"You can't think about the kick as it's happening; it's all about reps and rhythm," Anthony Lotti said. "If you have a couple of bad kicks it can definitely get in your head if you let it, so you just have to focus on the process."<br />
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And then, of course, there is the kick return game -- where Williams and Statham have spent much of the season scaring opposing teams. <br />
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"We've also blocked some punts this season," Lotti said. "The momentum swings when you have a big return are huge.<br />
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"What it really boils down to is that everyone on this team -- on our militia units -- has a job, and they know what's expected of them. The guys on special teams aren't treated any different from anyone else on the team."<br />
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As has been demonstrated since Lotti took over in 2012, that treatment is paying dividends. And the Spartans believe that will continue, beginning with Friday's first round showdown with Oconee County.
