Rams seek revenge against White Hall
Nearly a year after their last meeting, Lakeside finally gets another shot at White Hall tonight.
The Bulldogs accounted for 492 yards in a 64-36 romp last year at Austin Field, spoiling Lakeside’s homecoming and handing the Rams their only conference loss in 2016.
“We owe them a better game for sure; we didn’t play that well and they kind of brought it to us last year,” Lakeside coach Jared McBride said. “They’re returning a lot of good players from that team and they’re a good football team. We just hope to be able to go down and play well at their place.”
Lakeside’s rebound from an 0-3 start continued last week with a 43-35 win at Magnolia. Held to 14 first-quarter points, the Rams outscored the Panthers 29-14 down the stretch for their second-straight
5A-South win.
“We’re right where we want to be,” said McBride. “We’re trying to get better every week for sure, but just being able to play hard and compete in conference is what we’ve been wanting to do. I think we’re falling in to be a pretty good football team.”
After passing for 124 yards with five interceptions in losses to Joe T. Robinson and Sylvan Hills, quarterback Taylor Gillham has shown an improved command of the offense over the last three weeks. The junior has completed 57 percent of his passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns during the 2-1 stretch.
“He’s settling into the offense and he’s not trying to make every play,” McBride said. “Running the football effectively has helped him, being able to find some open guys and developing some trust.”
While Gillham settles in, Lakeside’s backfield duo continues its assault on 5A-South defenses. Seniors Dupree Swanson and Michael James gashed Magnolia for 352 yards on 56 carries last week.
With 997 yards and 17 touchdowns at the midway point, Swanson seems a lock for a second consecutive all-state appearance while James has 496 yards and two scores on 59 attempts. The Rams average
314 rushing yards per game.
“They’re doing a really good job of running hard and setting up their blocks,” said McBride. “Our offensive line, we’re rotating kids in and out of there with a lot of different ones playing, and they’re doing a good job of getting on people. It also includes our receivers; they do a good job of getting their blocks downfield and it’s been pretty effective so far.”
Not to be outdone, White Hall has plenty of offensive firepower. Senior quarterback Ollie Reddick triggers the unit with 840 yards and seven touchdowns through the air, adding a team-high 536 yards and six scores on the ground.
Three weeks after Malvern dual-threat Demias Jimerson torched the Rams for 529 yards and seven touchdowns, McBride knows his defense must do a better job of containing Reddick to have a chance tonight.
“We’ve got to get on him early and get on him on his side of the field,” McBride said. “If he gets us in space, it’s going to be trouble. We’ve got to get on his legs and tackle him as soon as we get the chance. Our kids earlier thought they could run along with (Jimerson), but we’ve got to get on him early.”
Reddick is just one of many options for a Bulldog offense that leads the conference in scoring with
42 points per game. Layne Hartsfield has 302 yards and six touchdowns rushing while Dante Buckner, Jabin Gulley and Rod Shelby each have two scores on the ground.
CJ Collins (10 catches, 156 yards), Baylor Owen
(9 catches, 203 yards) and Austin Terrell (11 catches,
125 yards) give Reddick a full stable of receiving targets. Despite facing a defense that allows just
19 points per game, McBride believes the contest could turn into a shootout with both teams employing a vast array of weapons.
“Key stops and getting a turnover or two will dictate the win,” said McBride.
Tied with Watson Chapel for first place in
5A-South, Lakeside controls its destiny in pursuit of a third-straight conference title. Acknowledging what’s at stake, McBride knows a win over the Bulldogs would put his team one step closer toward its ultimate goal.
“We’re focused on one game at a time, but we do talk about the fact that we want to be undefeated in conference,” he said. “That is a goal of ours, but to be undefeated, you have to win every week. We’re really focused on this week, but we do understand the importance of winning each game.”