DELCAMBRE -- For the Delcambre High football team to turn around a 2-8 campaign in 2007 into a successful one this year, the Panthers must try to bring a little balance to an offense that was heavily tilted toward its running game last season, DHS coach Darcy Delcambre believes.

That’s fine with tailback Lane Reaux, who might see his carries diminish but is not worried about personal accolades and accomplishments. Reaux rushed for 1,091 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 6.8 yards per carry, as a junior last year to earn first-team All-District and Daily Iberian Best of the Teche honors.

But Reaux also knows that forcing opposing teams to have to stop the passing game as well as the running game can only make things better for Delcambre this year. And the team is the most important thing to him.

Tailback Lane Reaux, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season and earned first-team All-District honors, said he is more concerned with helping Delcambre turn around last season’s 2-8 record than with more personal success this year. - Bill Smith / The Daily Iberian Advertisement

“We don’t really have key players,” said Reaux. “We’re more of a team. There are no All-Stars.

“This year we have a team. Everybody understands what they have to do. We understand that whatever it takes to win (we’ll do). We have a lot of people in the backfield. Everybody can play more than one position.”

Despite Reaux’s team approach, his coach knows that his two-time All-District kick returner has the kinds of skills that can help make this season more successful than the previous one.

“He’s got real, real good field vision,” said Delcambre. “And you can be misled by his speed.

“But I think his biggest asset is he’s a competitor. He does not like to lose.”

Neither does Delcambre. The Panthers are making a concerted effort to improve their passing game as a result.

“We’ll try to balance it up a little more,” said Delcambre. “Tipper (quarterback Chris Esponge) has shown he has a good feel for the passing game. We went to camp this year and he really looked like he’s a quarterback.”

Esponge and running backs Kyle Romero, Reaux and Jorey Renard have been together for a couple of seasons, the coach said, along with Tyler Hotard at split end. All the running backs have good hands, and the Panthers have depth at the skill positions, Delcambre said.

All of which can only help the offense, and the team.

“We’ll try to split it up,” said Reaux. “We want to keep it (both) pass and run. We have to get the job done on offense.

“If you can pass it opens up the run. If you can run it opens up the pass.”

Reaux also will see more time on defense, where he plays strong safety and outside linebacker.

“I didn’t play a lot (on defense) last year,” said Reaux, “but I expect to play a lot more (there) this year.”

“We talked a lot this summer, and a lot in the spring,” said Delcambre. “He’s that good of a kid and that good of a player that he’s going to have to play a lot on defense.”

It’s all the same to Reaux, who only wants the team to succeed.

“We really didn’t write (team goals) down, but we all want to win district for the first time in a long time and go to the playoffs,” he said. “It definitely is (achievable).”