Wolves seek better grip vs. Parkview
When it’s hard to keep count of turnovers, you know it was a bad game.
Lake Hamilton had such an outing in last week’s loss to Benton, turning one- sided in the fourth quarter after a second blocked field goal and three of the team’s seven turnovers. The onslaught of errors turned a three-point game into a 31-0 blowout.
The mistake- heavy performance put an emphasis on ball security before tonight’s 6A- South matchup with Little Rock Parkview on Verizon Wireless Field at Quigley-Cox Stadium. (Built by the Works Progress Administration in 1936 and seating 15,000, the stadium is adjacent to Central High School, 1500 Park St.)
“You can’t beat anybody with however many turnovers we had,” coach Jerry Clay said.
It’s not, he added, that keeping a grip is something the Wolves don’t regularly stress.
“We’ve done it a lot more than usual, ” Clay said. “It’s hard to explain. It’s definitely a skill. You’re talking about pressure points — the five pressure points to keep it tight against
your body.”
Five of last week’s giveaways were fumbles involving four Wolves, Clay saying: “We spread it around. It wasn’t just one guy, or two or three.
“You’ve got to want to (secure the ball),” he said. “You’ve got to focus on it. It’s a mindset. Turnovers will kill you.”
The passing game contributed two interceptions, the second returned for a touchdown.
“Both interceptions were (the result of) bad decisions,” Clay said. “We’ve got to protect the quarterback better, too. I’ll take responsibility for that. I’ve got to get them ready. The massive number of injuries (to linemen) has something to do with that … but someone has to step up.”
Quarterback Jess Ledbetter appeared affected at times by a sore wrist injured in the previous week’s 42-27 road win over El Dorado.
“He’s not throwing as accurately as he should be. (The sore wrist) could have some- thing to do with it,” Clay said. “What we’re working with him on is being more urgent with the ball. He’s not slow with it; he needs to get his feet set.”
Thanks largely to defeating El Dorado, the 5-3 Wolves are positioned for a No. 3 playoff speed going into the regular season’s final two weeks. At 4-2 in the South, they are tied with El Dorado for third behind co- leaders Benton and Pine Bluff (both 5-0). Parkview is fifth at 2-3 after last week’s 17-14 loss to 1-4 Texarkana.
Lake Hamilton closes league play against winless Little Rock Hall next week at home. Clay is focused more on cleaning up his team’s act than its postseason fate.
“You never know about ( prospective) seeding,” he said. “You never know how you match up with who you play.”
Parkview (4-4) has a bigplay — and big-name — player in sophomore quarterback Koilan Jackson, son of former Philadelphia Eagles tight end and University of Arkansas football commentator Keith Jackson. The younger Jackson (6-1, 175) guides a Spread offense, but his running ability is Clay’s biggest concern.
“They run a lot of jet sweeps, and they’ll fake the jet and he runs the ball quite a bit,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of athletes to spread around to cover the field,” he said.
Jackson’s 10- yard touchdown run in the third quarter gave Parkview a 14-10 lead against Texarkana before the Razorbacks scored on a fourth- down pass with 4: 28 to play.
Defense has carried the Patriots, who shut out Pulaski Mills. Little Rock Fair and Little Rock Hall and held Sheridan to seven points. They gave up 28 points to Benton and Little Rock Catholic and 42 to Pine Bluff.
“We have got to block them, and it’s not just the (offensive) linemen,” Clay said. “Our backs did not block well (last week). Benton affected that. They’re very aggressive. They put pressure on us.”
*** Clay had mixed news on injuries.
Junior kicker Ethan Johnson, he said, was diagnosed with a neck sprain after carted off the field in the fourth quarter last week.
“I think he’s OK,” Clay said. “It was completely precautionary — better safe than sorry.”
Clay was uncertain of running back/safety Donell West’s status. The senior was in for one play against Benton after spraining a foot the previous week.
Linebacker Quentavious Haywood missed practices after bruising a thigh against Benton, and offensive linemen Josh Graves and Hunter Wallace left the game with injuries. Clay also said tight end Nathan Dutton remains doubtful after missing the last two games.