Lackey’s ‘Big Six’ set to take the gridiron
Senior linemen ready to lead the way for Lackey football
They’re big, strong, physical, experienced and hungry to improve on last year’s semifinal appearance in the region playoffs.
As the 2017 season gets underway, the linemen of the Lackey football team, referred to by head coach John Lush as his “Big Six,” will be the focal point on the offensive and defensive lines.
The senior tandem have all started over 30 games in their high school careers.
“When I first came to Lackey 13 years ago those six guys kind of remind of what Lackey football is all about and that how it was introduced to me. That we’re going to be tough in the trenches, you were going to big, strong, mean, nasty and those are them in a nutshell,” said Lush, who was last year’s All-County Coach of the Year. “They all have different qualities about them, but together help make what we are trying to become.”
Lush’s Big Six features 6-foot-1, 265-pound tackle and defensive lineman Elijah Lane (a returning All-SMAC and All-County selection), 6-foot, 251-pound Chris Thompson (a returning All-SMAC and All-County selection who will play fullback and on the defensive line), 5-foot-11, 305-pound Julian Lyons (a returning All-SMAC and All-County selection and will start at center), 6-foot1, 285-pound lineman Davon Washington (a returning All-County selection), 6-foot, 283-pound lineman Willie Borden and 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman Dontrel Thompson.
Their play in the trenches was instrumental in
Lackey finishing with an overall record of 8-3 in 2016, a 5-1 mark in the SMAC Chesapeake Division that tied it with Calvert and Patuxent for the top spot. The Chargers earned a Class 2A South Region playoff berth, falling to Patuxent in the semifinals.
That taste of success has Lackey setting its sights even higher this year.
“Last year we fell short in the [region] playoffs, but this is the last ride for us to win a state championship,” Chris Thompson said. “It is now or never and we are all hungry to get past where we were a year ago.”
In addition to the experience the Chargers linemen carry, there is also great chemistry.
“I think we have a lot chemistry now. We’ve been together for three years,” Dontrel Thompson said. “Now it is our time. We are all seniors. We’re all brothers on and off the field.”
The offensive line will be a comfort to junior quarterback Robert “Boogie” Middleton, who will Lackey’s top dual-threat playmaker offensively and will be looking to have a strong year after suffering a season-ending broken foot injury a year ago in Week 2.
“If we keep working hard like we have been doing the last couple weeks, we can win a state championship,” Lane said.
With grueling two-a day practices and film sessions during August, the senior core knows that all the hard work will pay off in preparation for the season.
“I think these practices has been very important because we are getting better everyday,” Borden said. “We want to win.”
Lyons added: “The practices have helped us push pass our limits when we are tired and will make the games easier.”
Lackey lost All-SMAC Most Outstanding Player and one of the state’s leading rusher in Malik Burns (2,290 yards, 26 touchdowns last season; now a freshman defensive end at Temple), All-American linebacker Nate Proctor (74 tackles, 8 sacks last season; now at Virginia Tech) and AllSMAC offensive tackle James Tunstall (now at the University of Connecticut).
However, Lush mentioned that they have a
good core of returning players.
“We’ve got a lot to replace, but we have some key pieces to be pretty good,” he said. “We have big guys up front with experience on both sides of the ball.”
One other change for Lackey will be moving down to the 1A South Region where they have six region counterparts in SMAC foe McDonough and Prince George’s County outfits Douglass, Friendly Largo, and Surrattsville to go up against if they reach the postseason.
“The region will be a lot tougher than it has been in the past, but our conference prepares us for the playoffs no matter what region you are at,” said Lush. “We just have to take care of business first anything is possible.”
Lackey opens the season tonight when it heads to Leonardtown for a 6 p.m. kickoff.