Lakeside aims for 3- 0 at winless rival White Hall
Conference leaders easily can overlook a winless opponent, but not when it’s Lakeside against White Hall.
Longtime nonconference foes before joining 5A- South in 2012, the longtime rivals renew acquaintances at 7 p. m. in Jefferson County, the Rams seeking to become 3- 0 in league play for the first time this century and the Bulldogs for their first win in a rebuilding year.
“We’ve had some good ballgames with them,” Lakeside coach Jared McBride said. “Our game with them over the years has meant a lot in the conference race. We were able to beat them in 2011 and then play them in the playoffs, so it’s meant a lot to us. We know a lot about them and they know a lot about us. It’s been a good rivalry.”
Lakeside- White Hall highlights this decade include McBride getting his first head- coaching win in the 2010 opener, the last time the Rams won at White Hall, the 2011 quarterfinals where White Hall coach Mike Vaughn clinched his first semifinal appearance and the 2013 game in White Hall where Lakeside’s quarterback was ejected. The Rams haven’t beaten White Hall since the ‘ 11 opener, and they’re eager to end that skid tonight.
“I think they’re just excited to get another chance to play again,” McBride said. “It’s a chance for us to get to three wins. We’ve talked about the race to four this season. Four ( conference) wins are the first thing we’re looking for, and this will help us get there.”
McBride is impressed with the Rams ( 4- 1, 2- 0) stringing together solid conference wins over Camden Fairview, 63- 30, and Magnolia, 40- 13. Lakeside beat the Cardinals for the first time since 1979 and won at Magnolia for only the second time this century, in much more convincing fashion than 13- 0 in 2011.
“We’re getting better every week. We really are,” McBride said. “We’re just fine- tuning some things, and it’s been fun to watch. We’ve had different guys step up each week and carry the load and execute some things. It was a fun night because it’s hard to go down to Magnolia and win.”
Lakeside senior Maurice Bradford responded with 25 carries for 161 yards and five touchdowns, giving him 17 touchdowns for the season.
“He plays so hard,” said McBride of Bradford, still nursing a foot injury that limited his thirdweek productivity. “He’s still not 100 percent, and I don’t think he will be for the remainder of the year. He just gives us everything he has.”
While Lakeside’s scoring offense actually dipped to 50 points per game from 52.5, the
Rams put forth their top defensive effort of the season, yielding 42.25 points per game heading into Week 5. Magnolia was coming off a 42- 10 romp at White Hall.
“They did really well,” McBride said. “They got a couple of turnovers for us and really held them out. There were a couple of plays they gave up just on some well- executed tricks, but overall they were playing hard and staying focused and getting turnovers.”
White Hall ( 0- 5, 0- 2) has lost every game by at least three scores, casting doubt it can extend its seven- year postseason streak. Vaughn said he admitted a drop- off after 17 starters from last season graduated.
With all- state quarterback Kirk Baugh ( now at Central Arkansas) gone, Vaughn moved receiver Clay Dickerson to quarterback, and the Bulldogs average only 10.6 points per game.
“We didn’t have a quarterback. That’s the main thing,” Vaughn said. “We didn’t have a quarterback 10th grade through 12th grade. They’ve quit with either baseball or one of them moved. The guy we have playing there now was receiver for us. He’s done a great job, but he’s just not very experienced.”
Vaughn laments nearly every team he’s faced this year has been improved from last year while his team is down, and now the Bulldogs face a Lakeside team established as a contender for the 5A- South crown.