Lakeside looks to turn game around at Hope
Lakeside struggled in its first game after Magnolia canceled their Oct. 2 game, falling
21-14 to the Texarkana Razorbacks on homecoming last week.
The Rams (3-3, 1-1 5A-South) hope to turn things around this week as they make the trip down Interstate 30 to face the Hope Bobcats
(1-4, 1-1). Head coach Jared McBride said that the week off was definitely helpful.
“If anything, it helped us, just to get back healthy. … We had a brutal early schedule and we kind of were glad to have that week just to prepare. Texarkana is a very physical and fast football team, and that helped us prepare to be able to play as good a game, as we did,” he explained.
While the Bobcats may have won just a single game, McBride said that in this conference, no team is too insignificant to overlook.
“There’s no one out there right now that you can overlook,” he said. “I think they’re playing hard each week. You know, they’re causing people some issues in different ways and have got a really dynamic quarterback that can hurt you, running and passing. And they’re playing hard all the way to the end, so we’ve got to be prepared and ready to go.”
While Hope likes to run the ball, second-year head coach Phillip Turner has no problem turning to junior quarterback Ammorrion Dempsey for an aerial attack. Dempsey is 16 for 54 passing for 238 yards and two touchdowns with 6 interceptions, but he also leads the team’s ground game with 61 rushes for 367 yards and four touchdowns.
“They’re a run-first group, but they spread
to run,” McBride explained. “So they do it in different ways of stretching the field, and then they can throw it deep. So, you know, we’ve got to be able to continue to play well on defense, and hopefully give our offense a chance at a short field and put the ball in the end zone.”
While the Rams are looking to put presure on Dempsey, they are also hoping that their superior numbers will play into their favor.
“They’re big up front, especially one side of their line, but a lot of their kids play both ways,” McBride said, noting the Bobcats have just over 40 players on their roster. “So we’ll have to, you know, take advantage of that when we get the opportunity. Just try to play with some pace, and, you know, maybe kind of tire them out a little bit.”
McBride said that the Rams are in good shape, especially seven weeks into the season.
“We’re healthy,” he said. “Banged up and bruises like everybody else. But we’re healthy and looking forward to another chance to play on Friday. Hopefully we’ll play as well offensively as we have been defensively and put a great football game together.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Foy Hammons Stadium.