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Drone, Lowe To Vocalize Leadership

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By ADAM ADKINS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 4, 2008

PLANT CITY - First-year Plant City coach Jason Strunk can't help but get excited when talking about seniors Denzel Drone and Duran Lowe. It's for good reason. There are a lot of reasons for Strunk to be excited.

Both players are coming off junior seasons in which they earned All-Western Conference honors and established themselves as two of the better defensive players in Hillsborough County. Both players have a blend of size, skill and power, the type college recruiters crave, evidenced by Drone's and Lowe's multiple scholarship offers.

But the one thing that gets Strunk going the most are not the measurables Drone and Lowe possess, or even the prowess on the field the new Raiders' coach has seen so far in the short time he's been with the program.

"It's the work ethic," Strunk said. "They don't take plays off. A lot of times you have guys of that caliber, who are Division I players, they know they can dominate and they take plays off. These guys, in practice, it's full tilt all the time. I've got to hold the rein and bring them in, to not be so physical at times because it's in them. They don't stop. And that's all you need in a football player."

All Drone and Lowe want to do is continue Plant City's winning ways since they've been members of the varsity squad. The Raiders have been to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, and that again is the goal this year - with an added incentive.

"We're trying to make it three years in a row to the playoffs, but this time we're not trying to go to the playoffs and just sit," Drone said. "We're trying to make a run."

In order to do it, Drone and Lowe know the Raiders will rely on them to lead the way.

Drone, a two-year starter on the defensive line, will be moving to outside linebacker this season in the Raiders' new 3-4 defense. He also will continue to see time at tight end, where he's played the last two seasons, and with quarterback Clint Stearns expected to throw a bit more this season, Drone could see his role increase on offense this season.

Lowe, a two-year starter at safety, will again occupy that role this season, and he also figures into the rotation at running back because the Raiders' coaching staff loves his hard-nosed running style.

The biggest impact the two could have this season could come via their leadership roles, a role that will change a bit this season for both players in order for them to adjust to the new team makeup.

"In prior years we didn't really have to be vocal leaders. Everybody knew what needed to get done, so we just led by example," Lowe said. "Now that we've got younger players on the team, we're going to have to step up and show them how to play and as the season progresses we're going to have to talk to them a little more. We're just going to have to show them how to get it done."

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