Justin Tisdell’s family has invested a lot of time at Bennie Gatto Field, so he does not want to take his final year at Lathrop High for granted.

The Spartans’ lone third-year varsity player believes that this year’s group, headed by second-year coach Ryan Teicheira, has what it takes to put together an historic season. His older brother, Ross Jr., starred on the program’s first — and only — postseason-qualifying team back in 2015. Their father, Ross, is a long-time assistant coach/defensive coordinator.

“It means a lot,” Justin said of his final go-around at LHS. “I grew up on these sidelines watching my dad coach and watching my brother play. It’s crazy to think that I’m in my senior year and I am where I was watching my brother play. I want to be able to take it farther than he did.”

Lathrop was not far off in Teicheira’s debut season. The Spartans won five straight at one point before dropping three of their final four in Western Athletic Conference play, narrowly missing the playoffs with a 6-4 record.

Teicheira introduced the Wing-T offense, which he picked up from his two years as an assistant for Valley Oak League heavyweight Oakdale. The players immediately embraced their new identity as a smash-mouth team, and Teicheira is adding new wrinkles to the scheme.

“Expectations are the same as they were last year,” Teicheira said. “We knew we could be really good, we just made some mistakes that put us out of (the running for playoffs).

“The juniors (now seniors) are hungry after the way the season ended — it doesn’t sit well. They’ve done a great job in the offseason taking command of the team, and the sophomores coming up have bought in. The chemistry we had last year is carrying over. The kids want more than what we achieved last year. For them, 6-4 wasn’t a true depiction of what our team could have done.”

Here’s a look at the 2022 Spartans:

Lathrop lost two of its top linemen, Harold Gary (WAC Defensive Player of the Year) and Jeremy Buck (WAC Offensive Lineman of the Year), to graduation, but senior guards Gian Albano and Hector Meza bring experience and leadership.

Meza enjoys blocking in the Wing-T, which makes use of his agility and powerful 6-foot-1, 295-pound frame.

“It brings us out more and basically shouts out the linemen,” Meza said. “If the line doesn’t work, then the whole team doesn’t work. The line hits hard and works hard. The Wing-T is perfect for us.”

Tailback Roman Giordano (241 yards, 5.7 per carry) and wingback Kameron Jones (92 yards, 7.7 per carry, three TDs) flashed their abilities with limited touches.

“This year’s group has a lot more speed,” Teicheira said. “There’s more open-space talent with our skill guys. We’re looking to try to get the ball in space. We spent a lot of time this summer incorporating (shot)gun/pistol packages, and it’s because we have more skill guys that we want to get the ball to.”

Albano is the workhorse at the line of scrimmage, as he’ll see plenty of reps on defense, as well. Jones starts at cornerback for the promising defensive backfield. The versatile Tisdell, who can play outside linebacker and strong safety, is the on-field general for the defense.

On the rise: Senior quarterback Jerico Santillan has returned to the program after taking a break from football last year. He was a key player on the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship boys volleyball team.

Teicheira is excited to capitalize on Santillan’s natural talents as a passer and playmaker. The Spartans averaged just eight passes per game last year. They’ll remain true to their identity as a run-first offense, but Teicheira will be more confident in opening up the playbook when needed.

“We’re still going to be a run-heavy team,” Teicheira said. “If we don’t have to (throw), we have no problem just pounding the rock.”

Defensively, Santillan joins Anthony Cuellar and Tisdell on a strong linebacking corps. Fellow senior Jeremiah Green will be another important two-way contributor at wide receiver and cornerback.

Dominic Corral (6-1, 260) is a promising junior left tackle who provides additional bulk to the physical offensive line.

“We have an up-and-coming left tackle who came up for our last game,” Albano said. “He did pretty darn good for practicing with us for just one week. He can fill those shoes for Buck at left tackle. He’s a monster.”

Schedule: Lathrop kicks off against one of the top small-school teams out of the Sacramento area. Bradshaw Christian went 10-2 in 2021 and reached the SJS Division VI semifinals. The Pride also operate out of the Wing-T, so the Spartans have set up a potential slugfest out the gate.

Their next four are on the road. Lathrop travels to Concord to meet Mt. Diablo and ends the pre-league schedule with Battle of I-5 rival Weston Ranch. The Spartans get tested in their WAC opener two weeks later at Ceres.

Outlook: Now fully transitioned from the spread offense, the Spartans have a better grasp of the Wing-T and may be better equipped to execute its plays.

Many defensive roles were left unsettled after summer workouts because of the depth and versatility at several spots. In what is set up to be another wide-open race in the WAC, the Spartans expect to be in the mix once again.

“We’re still hungry,” Tisdell said. “We all want to make it to the playoffs. I feel like we have enough pieces on the team that work well together and make it there.”