Lakeside QB’s status unsure for Fairview
Defending 5A-South champion Lakeside opens conference play tonight at Camden Fairview with a question mark at the key offensive position.
Senior quarterback Fisher Alexander suffered a concussion in last week’s 48-32 loss at Malvern and his status is uncertain for tonight’s game.
“We’ve been monitoring him throughout the week and we’ll make a decision at game time about his status,” Lakeside coach Jared McBride said. “If he’s got any lingering issues, we won’t start him. He’s a warrior so we know he’ll want to be out there, but it’s a matter of clearing him and making sure he’s healthy enough to play.”
Sophomore Taylor Gilham completed 12 of 18 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in relief of Alexander. Gilham started the season opener for the Rams and McBride has confidence in the young quarterback if he’s called upon to start again.
“Taylor’s played well for us at times this year and we think he can be a very good quarterback for us,” said McBride. “We’re confident in his abilities and think that he can put our offense in position to score points when he’s out there.”
Much like Alexander, Gilham had success when throwing to Caleb Dean against the Leopards. The all-state receiver finished with six catches for 124 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, Lakeside struggled to contain a dual-threat quarterback for the second-straight game. After Sylvan Hills quarterback Jordan Washington scored four touchdowns in the Bears’ 28-27 win in Week 2, Malvern’s Demias Jimerson had 167 yards rushing and 93 yards passing with five total touchdowns, adding another score on a 73yard fumble return on defense.
Fairview (1-2) presents the same challenge for the Rams with John Dawson completing 12 of 19 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown along with 33 yards rushing on eight carries in the Cardinals’ 28-20 loss to Texarkana.
Dalvonte Lewis led the team in rushing with 75 yards on just five carries while Chris Hargraves totaled 73 yards on 20 carries. Qwaishawn Thompson, who caught a 37-yard touchdown from Dawson, headlines the receiving corps for the Cardinals.
“They’re very talented on offense so we expect it to be another difficult test for our defense,” McBride said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to do our job better. Everybody we play is going to have talent on offense, so we have to worry about doing a better job on our end and correcting the mistakes that we’ve been making on defense.”
Despite the 0-3 start, McBride knows the most important part of his team’s season is still ahead. With 3-0 White Hall the only 5A-South team above .500, tonight signals a new start for the Rams in a league that appears wide open.
“Everybody’s had tough schedules to start the year so it’s hard to call anybody a favorite or write anybody off at this point,” said McBride. “It’s like a new season for us. Everybody’s 0-0 right now and we’re looking forward to defending our title this season. Obviously it’s pretty tough to win the conference win if you lose the first game, so we’re ready to get out there Friday night and expecting a good test for our team.”