Justin Dottery has a lot to prove in the upcoming 2012 HS football season. At 6'2" 247, the Locke HS Saints senior quarterback is poised to lead his team to battle in the Coliseum League.
Dottery credits his coaching staff for continuing to motivate the Locke team. The Saints have worked hard this off-season to improve and compete with the likes of Crenshaw, Dorsey, Cathedral and San Pedro to name a few teams on the 2012-2013 schedule.
"You get that much better and we've really improved that much," said Dottery in regards to the Locke off-season football program.
"Our Head Coach Duane Horn and the rest of the staff do a great job at motivating us and letting us know that we can't be satisfied and need to always get better. We can contend and be at the top of the Coliseum League. As long as we buy into what the coaches say, we can go far," said the senior gunslinger.
Justin knows the importance of working hard during the summer months, and recently competed with several LA area players in a UCLA 7on7 tournament.
“I had never played with the other guys before and we won the tournament,” Dottery told CLA.
From Locke, Darrion Honeycut, Darien Jones and Akyem Robins were pulled together just before the tournament, along with Crenshaw’s Max Lyons, Dorsey quarterback Reginald Bell and Franklin standout wide receiver Joshua Taylor, amongst others.
Dottery and Bell had the benefit of throwing to Franklin’s Joshua Taylor (WR/2013), who has excellent hands and possesses a leaping ability and size that allows him to dominate smaller defenders. “There were times that I would just throw the ball up and he would make the catch. There was one play where he went up for a pass in the endzone and came down with the ball in one-hand. His other hand never even went up for the ball,” Dottery said.
Justin Dottery was able to make an impression on the UCLA coaching staff, and had a conversation with Taylor Mazonne, who is the son of current UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.
"We were just talking. He asked me about my grades and where I play at. He told me they were going to be watching me this year. He said I was throwing some good balls, and he told me to get in touch with Coach Mazonne. He’s worked with Tim Tebow and a lot of other guys,” Dottery explained.
Although he’s been able to catch the attention of a few programs such as Vanderbilt, Cal Poly and North Western Oklahoma State, Dottery doesn’t plan on becoming complacent.
“San Pedro will probably be our stiffest competition. We've been playing them since the 90s and our coach said that we haven't beat them yet,” he said.
Dottery and Locke look forward to week one of the HS football season, and senior QB has something to prove. “We open up on August 24th against Cathedral. Their quarterback is going to LSU. I think he's ranked as the number 9 pocket-passer in the country,” Justin told CLA.
“In the passing tournament I pretty much got their (Cathedral) base coverage on defense. I feel like our team has worked really hard since January in the weight room and since March being on the field. I think we're ready for them.”
In regards to the rest of the Locke HS varsity football team, Dottery expresses confidence in his teammates. “Akyem Robins has emerged as our best corner. Akyem is a track star and along with Delmonte Richmond and Justin Taylor, they're probably the fastest guys on the team,” said Dottery.
“Jeremy Copeland, Justin Taylor and Darius Pointdexter are looking good at linebacker. Dominic Young tore his ACL in the first game last year and is looking like he's gotten a lot more mobile.”
“Markele Williams is our tackle. One of the hardest working dudes I know. Last year he got a letter from Stanford. He has a bunch of letters. He was All-Coliseum League as a junior. He's probably the strongest dude on our team,” said the young quarterback.
Watch out for senior linebacker Justin Taylor, who has proven to be a ballhawk over the course of last season and into the summer. “He's so passionate he doesn't want to lose anything. Whoever you put him against, he's going to match them stride for stride,” Dottery said of the Locke HS linebacker.
Look for the Saints to rest upon the strength of their running game with the emergence of junior running back Rasool Gilmore, and an offensive line anchored by All-Coliseum League performer Markele Williams, who stands at 6’2” 256 and has excellent range.
Dottery looks forward to being able to throw the ball roughly 15-20 times a game. If Locke can be successful in their pass coverage, look for Justin Dottery to carve out a place for himself on an NCAA roster in the 2013 season.
From LA Times Eric Sondheimer:
“The team will rely on lineman Markele Williams (6-foot-2, 256 pounds), a three-year starter, plus all-around athlete Rickey Brown and new quarterback Justin Dottery (6-2, 247). Junior running back Rasool Gilmore should be an impact player.”
