Lausanne finds value in tune-up for showdown with Lipscomb
Brock Glenn was finished at halftime of Lausanne’s 50-0 first-round playoff victory over Harding Academy on Friday.
The sophomore quarterback was the spark for the Lynx (8-1), staking the home team to a 41-0 lead. Glenn threw four touchdown passes — two each to senior Travis Dockery and sophomore Antonio Dilworth — and freshman running back Tyler Wilson scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
So, coach Kevin Locastro substituted every starter in the second half against the Lions (3-7). But the job the starting lineups did while they were relegated to bystander status might have been more impressive than how they performed in the first half, according to Locastro.
“My mindset is always (like the score is 0-0), even when we’re up by 50,” Glenn said. “Anything could happen. What I’ll usually do (when I’m on the sideline), I’ll stand beside the playcallers and pay attention. If it’s a pass, I’ll get real excited.”
As proud as Locastro was of his starters staying engaged in the game, his focus shifted a little further down the line. The injection of youth into Friday’s game gave some of his more inexperienced players a chance to get some reps that could turn out to be valuable once next season rolls around.
“Your scout team guys are so important to the development of the guys that really play the most on Friday nights,” he said. “For those kids to get in the game, it was a lot of fun to watch them. To see them run the ball and execute. So, your mind really switches to kind of a development stage.”
The highlight of the game for Locastro and Glenn — and most everyone on the Lausanne sideline — was an interception returned for a touchdown by sophomore Jarvis Barber. Following the 8-yard return that put the Lynx up 50-0, his teammates celebrated and the student section chanted his name.
“He’s been a special teams guy for us, but hasn’t really played much on offense or defense,” Locastro said. “I think everybody was really excited for him to get the opportunity and take advantage of it.”
The Lynx will travel to Nashville next week to face Lipscomb Academy (9-2), winners of nine straight. Lipscomb Academy is ranked No. 2 in DII-AA.
“Their body of work is obviously really good,” Locastro said. “They beat CPA to finish first in their region up there. We’ve been watching film on them for a couple of weeks now, assuming that’s who we would get. We’re certainly not going up there thinking we’re going to be taking a butt-whipping. Our goals haven’t changed through this whole crazy season. We’re going up there feeling like we do every year, which is to make it to Cookeville.”
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.