Lake Taylor Head Football Coach Hank Sawyer chats with VirginiaPreps.com's Matthew Hatfield following his team's preseason scrimmage vs. Woodside in Norfolk on Thursday, August 11, 2022.

Sawyer has built Lake Taylor into a perennial power, winning three state titles and reaching the State Championship game on six occasions while compiling a record of 216-59 overall in 23 seasons at the helm. Yet, it was as somewhat of a down season for the Titans in 2021 as they finished 6-5 overall and got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs in their first season at the Region 3A level.

Lake Taylor is expecting to be near the top again very soon with an exciting mix of returnees and newcomers. Leading the way are senior Tarreon Washington-Jacobs and junior Elijah Washington, a 6-foot-7 multi-sport star who is one of the nation's top football prospects in the Class of 2024.

Washington-Jacobs was the Eastern District Offensive Player of the Year, and in addition to his sterling running, is a factor at linebacker. In total, the Titans should field at least nine players that started on offense a year ago and eight that got starts defensively.

Lake Taylor opens its 2022 season at home on August 26th against Eastern District rival I.C. Norcom of Portsmouth.