Thomas Platten has been given a second chance to be a starting quarterback in the Class 4A Mountain Plains League.
A short-lived stint as the signal-caller for Wheat Ridge’s varsity football program lasted one game and ended with an on-field fight. Platten then transferred to Lakewood High School last spring after his family moved into a house near Lakewood Park.
“I just love football. To sit out for nine games, it killed me,” Platten said. “I didn’t really get along with the (Wheat Ridge) coaches, and people didn’t really want me to be there.”
Lakewood football coach Mark Robinson admits he has received his fair share of second chances over his career, so he was willing to give Platten a second shot. It was pretty clear to Robinson over the summer Platten would take over the quarterback role from graduated four-year starter Will Cantwell.
“I told him (Platten) he would get a chance to play football for us like anyone else,” Robinson said. “We’ve had very good luck with kids who have been kicked off other coaches’ team and come here to play football.”
Cristian Sarmento, who transferred from Wheat Ridge to Lakewood before his junior season, was a two-year starter for the Tigers and is currently a red-shirt freshman playing football at the University of Northern Colorado.
The one player that might have been most relieved to see Platten walking the halls at Lakewood was junior Donnie Reed. The wide receiver had a breakout 1,000-year receiving sophomore season and was a little concerned with the graduation of Cantwell.
“He (Platten) had trouble at Wheat Ridge, but he has cleaned up his act,” Reed said. “I think he is going to have a good solid year.”
Reed wasn’t the focus of defensives last season because Ryan Lutz, a freshman at UNC this season, was the Tigers main offensive weapon. Lutz was double-teamed for the majority of the season, which gave Reed plenty of room to roam free in the secondary.
That won’t be the case this year.
“Teams are going to key on me like they did Lutz, but I believe we have players ‘round me that can make things happen,” Reed said. “I want to have a consistent game every game, hopefully 100 yards per game. The most important thing is to get a win for the team.”
Winning didn’t come easy for the Tigers toward the end of their 2004 campaign. Lakewood lost its final three conference games to Ralston Valley, Thunder Ridge and Green Mountain to finish the season 4-6, 3-5 in the Mountain Plains.
Robinson doesn’t have a big senior class this season, but he believes his junior class will help Lakewood stay competitive in the toughest 4A league in the state. Thunder Ridge and Dakota Ridge played in the state title game last year, while Green Mountain and Ralston Valley both should sport league contenders.
“I think we can sneak into a playoff spot,” Reed said. “Hopefully our defense will step up big.”
Robinson is excepting juniors Jarrad McKay and Erick Ferrel to step into big roles on both sides of the ball in replacing Lutz and graduated Jay Murray. Cliff Sell is another junior to should play a significant role. The lineman has put on early 50 pounds, according to Robinson in the past year.
Lakewood will open its season against Broomfield at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at Jeffco Stadium.
The Wheat Ridge game Sept. 23 is one that Platten has circled. He doesn’t talk much to his former teammates, except for the Farmers’ junior starting quarterback Dylan Orms, whom he still considers a friend.
“I like Dylan and I respect him. He is a good player,” Platten said. “I’m looking forward to that game. I think all my teammates will have my back.”