Brandon Sargent

Brandon Sargent’s approach to football is quite simple, he runs through opposing players, never around them.

The bruising junior Laker linebacker and running back brings the kind of attitude Coach Mike Shea wants to see out of his entire football team.

“I nominated Brandon for Player of the Week because of his leadership and toughness on the field,” Coach Shea said. “He is a fierce competitor and is the glue to our defense. He has demonstrated that he can be a good captain on and off the field.”

In recognition of his strong work ethic, determination, commitment and good sportsmanship, Brandon is this week’s Boosters and Hancock Lumber “Player of the Week.” Each week, a Lake Region athlete is recognized for his/her dedication (does more than what is asked), work ethic, coachability and academic good standing. Recipients receive a specially-designed T-shirt, sponsored by Hancock Lumber.

The Sargent File

Name: Brandon Sargent

Year in School: Junior

Hometown: Naples

Parents: Michael Sargent and Cathy Mulkern

Sports you play: Football, lacrosse

School organizations: Varsity Clu

Why did you choose to play football? Football has been my life for many years. It is one of my favorite things in life.

What is the most difficult part of the game? The most difficult part of the game is watching one of your brothers go down. My workout partner and one of my best friends (Colby Chaplin) — one of the hardest working kids you will ever find — had a season-ending injury. I have never experienced anything harder.

What do you enjoy the most about football? I enjoy going out on the field Friday nights with my second family.

What do you feel you need to work on? I need to work on making sure I know what my team needs. Being a captain is a big job. I need to make sure the team is prepared on Friday night.

Why is teamwork important? Teamwork in football is the most important aspect of the game. All 11 guys need to do their job so the team can be successful.

What is the biggest impact your coach(es) have had on you? The coaches we have are the best, most knowledgeable set of coaches in the state. Not one of them lets me do wrong. They care, like I’m their own kid. Some have mentored me since I was in middle school.

How do you want people to view you as an athlete? I don’t care about being looked at as the biggest kid on the field. I want to be known as the hardest worker and most involved. When I step on the practice or game field, I throw everything I know and I put 100% effort into it.

Ten years from now, when you look back on your high school sports career, what do you think you will remember most? Having the best guys I could ever ask for surrounding me every Friday night.