Tonight, Lakeland with the state’s second ranked offense returns to LaGrange to host Garrett. Lakeland is coming off a 69-14 win @ Prairie Heights, but they will play a rejuvenated Garrett who got the first win of the season in a 27-0 win over Busco.
For Garrett Head Coach Chris DePew, a win like this goes a long way, especially when a team is young and trying to maintain confidence from the preseason.
“We literally have 3 seniors who play a lot, and in football men and boys get separated really fast,” said DePew about the learning process with his team. “Seniors are 17 or 18 years old, a few months away from college and adulthood. (The) freshmen and sophomores are 14 or 15 (years old), still with braces on their teeth and riding their bikes to practice, (and) perhaps (they’re) only a few months removed from middle school. There can be a HUGE difference in a game where physicality and maturity matter.”
Garrett leads the all-time series 24-16. Here are the keys to winning tonight. Garrett has won 8 of their last 10 meetings, with several of these games coming by less than 14 points.
1. Staying disciplined
In a game that is filled with many great players across this matchup, discipline is going to be a key area to watch in this game, especially for the Garrett Railroaders as they look to limit Lakeland’s offensive attack.
Can the Big Train maintain their composure against this athletically gifted Lakeland team? I think that’s something Garrett has shown improvement so far, but now can they do so with the confidence they have but also focusing on the task at hand.
For Lakeland, the key with their discipline is sticking to what their gameplan is and executing it. Maintain the energy of this game and try not to get sluggish in this matchup but as you know this Garrett team is going to be one that’s going to try to disrupt some things with their offense.
“Their offense presents a lot of size, speed, running and passing abilities,” said DePew on Lakeland. “They can score fast and often. Their kicking game is solid and their defense has been opportunistic.”
2. Establish the Run
In this matchup, you have two quarterbacks that throw the ball, especially with sophomore Brayden Holbrook who’s one of the most talented in the entire state. On paper, trying to stop the pass and the run is a difficult task when you look at the fact Lakeland has exceptionally fast and athletic receivers, a strong O-Line, and two talented running backs.
To win in the NECC, you have to be able to stop the run, and the teams that can beat stop the run are the ones that have the best shot at winning in this conference. Yes, the numbers say Lakeland has allowed 27 points per game, but let’s be honest. St. Joe is a tough first game, the Busco game was a wacky game, and the Heights game saw backups coming in after halftime. I’m not too worried about this defense for Lakeland on paper as long as they stay focused and can maintain their fundamentals.
Garrett is the one that will be challenged in this game because this is a young defense that’s going to have to grind it out in Lunchpale Garrett manner against the most talented offense in the NECC. Folks this isn’t 2013 anymore. Lakeland’s offense is as good as this area has seen in a long long time.
But the issue is Sean Conley and Carson Mickem are not your ordinary running backs. I guess the challenge with Lakeland is the lack of certainty with who you’re preparing for at running back because the Big Train continues to rotate several young guys that can carry some of the load. So it’s crucial that Lakeland is tackling well and will need to be aware of any tricks that are up Chris DePew’s sleeves.
“Cam (Ruble) gives us a bigger RB whereas Alex Guzman and Xavier Nusbaum give us speed at the same position,” said DePew. “Game-to-game it might just depend on what we need. Brayden Nusbaum and Kaidin Colburn also share another RB position and make significant contributions running, blocking, and catching the ball from the backfield.”
3. This Game Showcases Effort and Teamwork
Ignore records and X’s and O’s for a minute, but whenever you play Garrett, especially in football no less, you better wear your work boots, you better be wearing your hard helmets, and you certainly need to make sure you’re mentally locked-in. Garrett football is blue-collar football, and they’re going to fly to the ball, and will show that they can play with anyone. This IS a potential TRAP game if anyone overlooks Garrett.
As Chris stated, this is high school football, not the NFL. These are kids learning how to play football at the highest level possible, so for a Lakeland team that is at a position they haven’t been in a decade, it’s important to not take this game for granted.
Everyone wants to speculate on how good that Week 7 game might be between Lakeland and West Noble. Well, guess what, this is only Week 4. The challenge I have with Lakeland is NO LONGER about talent or winning games. Now, it’s can they go into weeks that they’re expected to win and win convincingly and play Lakeland football to the best of what they can bring.
Really, their biggest challenge now until they get to Weeks 7 and 8 is not letting their next opponent catch them off guard. So far, Lakeland has won games by being aggressive, sticking to the gameplan, and playing team football. The team can only go as far as what the players are committed to do on the field. The coaches have built the foundation, now the players have to go out and showcase their talents and the team’s capabilities.
Players to Watch
Garrett
Calder Hefty Junior Quarterback/Defensive Back
Tonight, there are Hefty, Hefty stakes on the line for Garrett as they come in as huge underdogs. So far, Hefty has been efficient. But for Garrett to have a chance to win tonight, he and the guys around him will have to be at their best, the best they’ve been all season.
That’s tough considering the fact this Lakeland team has a lot of speed and will not slow down on defense, especially with the Cowley brothers and Bo Kerns having such a major presence. Hefty will also be a key guy to watch on defense as he will have to guard their athletic receivers.
Lakeland
Sean Conley Sophomore Running Back
For Lakeland to grasp control of this game, you need Lakeland’s rushing attack to be dominant against a young Garrett defense. While Lakeland is a team that will throw on the shotgun spread, Lakeland is much stronger when the running game is dominant. So far, this offense is averaging 504 total yards per game, 304 of these yards come on the ground.
A transfer out of Snider High School but has always been raised in LaGrange, Sean has gifted talents that I haven’t seen by a Laker running back since the great Eli Wallace, and man they look so alike. Coming off the Heights game where Conley ran for 248 yards on 4 carries, his 62 yards per carry reflects on the fact that if you don’t tackle well, it’s going to be a long game.
Conclusion
You want to start divisional play 1-0, because losing one game is all it takes to put pressure on yourself and it ruins any chances of winning the division. Yes, you get four chances to pull this off, but everyone only gets a 1-in-4 chance to win their respective divisions in the NECC. A loss means, you need someone else to help you out.
Either way, we’re going to find out just how much improvement these two teams have made in the NECC.
Around the NorthEast Corner 