Sikes steps up as CHS’ go-to WR

Christian Heritage receiver Mason Sikes plays in an offense where the run-to-pass ratio is nearly 4-to-1.

If anyone thinks that makes Sikes’ job easier, he might want to play a game in the junior’s shoes.

First, Sikes is by far the most targeted player when senior quarterback Daniel Pierce does fire off a pass — he has 33 of the team’s 47 receptions on 96 attempts and made every catch as Pierce completed 9 of 13 passes during last Saturday’s 56-20 win against Dominion Christian. Second, the rarity of throws only increases the importance of Sikes being sure-handed when the ball comes his way.

That’s something he definitely understands.

“It’s a little nerve-wracking before the pass is thrown,” said the 5-foot-10-inch, 160-pound Sikes, who has 724 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches in 2009. “But once the pass is on its way, you don’t really think about it. You’ve just got to look it all the way in and make sure you grab it before you turn and run.”

The Lions — who face the North Georgia Falcons in the Glory for Christ Football League championship at 2 p.m. today at Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs — installed the wing-T in the offseason and have counted on the ground game to pick up first downs and find the end zone this year.

Senior fullback Terrell Wilson has gained 1,350 yards on 121 rushing attempts, 20 of them touchdowns, for an 11.2 average per carry, while running back Ethan Turnmire has 562 on 49 (11.5 avg.) with 14 touchdowns. Christian Heritage also works in option plays several times a game and Pierce has 463 yards and 13 touchdowns on 75 carries.

But the fact that Sikes is lined up wide has something to do with the respect defensive backs and linebackers must pay to the threat of a pass, and that opens up territory for the Lions to run.

“We do have to have the pass,” Lions offensive coordinator Danny Carter said. “It’s the thing that makes everybody play us honest.”

Again, because passes are relatively rare for the Lions, Sikes needs to make the catch any time he has the chance. Carter doesn’t worry about him making that effort.

“What makes Mason so good is he’s just fearless,” Carter said. “He’s not scared about getting hit. He throws his body around just so he gets his hands on the football. He’s a great possession receiver, but he’s showed this year he can be a deep threat, because he’s got just enough speed to get past folks.”

Pierce — who was the team’s top receiver in 2008, when his older brother John started at quarterback — is also appreciative of the ways in which Sikes has made the quarterback’s job easier.

“He showed us right off the bat he could run good routes and that he was going to be able to be a tough matchup for the defense,” Pierce said. “Defenses have to allow for that and they can’t pull a lot of guys up in the box when Mason’s out there.”

Sikes and Pierce also work together on defense, where both start in the secondary, with Pierce at safety and Sikes at cornerback. Both have been solid in their duties there, said Lions coach Mike Vaden, who also coordinates the defense.

“I think Daniel leads the team in interceptions and Mason’s second, they’re very close,” Vaden said. “Both of them have really good athletic ability and they do a great job of having vision as to where the ball’s coming down and they intercept the ball real well. It’s been a real pleasure having Mason out here this year and seeing him develop.”

While Sikes credits weight training and simple repetition for some of his on-field physical progress, Vaden believes the player has made even more progress mentally from last season to this one.

Also a guard for the school’s basketball team and an outfielder for its baseball team, Sikes — who’s been attending Christian Heritage since kindergarten — was persuaded by friends to try football as a sophomore. But he played sparingly on offense and defense, starting only on special teams and was unsure of whether he wanted to play again this year.

Vaden believed that showed during a lackluster spring practice, but somewhere along the way, the coach said, Sikes’ attitude improved and his skills did, too.

Today, with defense of their 2008 league title on the line, Vaden and the Lions don’t have to wonder whether they can count on Sikes.

“As a team and a coach, we’re tickled to death to have him,” Vaden said. “But the more important thing than having him out here has been the positive attitude he’s had. He really has been a leader in the receiver corps.”

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