Raiders D looks to ground Cougars

Sports

Discussion

November 25, 2009

By Jamie Wachter / executive sports editor The Meridian Star Wed Nov 25, 2009, 12:36 AM CST

The task isn't easier, just different.

After spending the majority of the season being pounded on by power rushing attacks, the Lamar defense now faces a different challenge: the high-flying Brookhaven Academy Cougars.

"It's just a total different challenge," Lamar coach Mac Barnes said as the 12-1 Raiders are preparing for Friday's MAIS Class AA state championship game at Millsaps College at 5 p.m. against the 14-0 Cougars. "We don't need to think, 'Well now it's not going to be as hard' because it's not those big guys running right at you. It's just a different kind of challenge."

On Oct. 23, the Raiders allowed more than 500 yards rushing in their lone loss — a 48-21 setback against Simpson Academy. Since then, though, Lamar's defense has held its ground against the rushing attacks of Leake Academy, Oak Hill Academy, Marshall Academy and then a rematch against the Cougars last week. That work has been the finishing touches of a season-long task that has been hindered by Lamar's loss of five starters to injury including sophomore defensive tackle Brock Williams last week.

"They've gotten better and it sort of has taken us a full year as coaches to really look at our talent and, of course, it's hard to get your defense ready when each week you're going to get something different," Barnes said.

"After the Simpson game, we had made some changes the week of the Simpson game that we probably wish we hadn't made them, we just went back and with the exception of the fourth quarter of the Marshall game when we gave up three touchdowns, we really have played good defense since that first Simpson game.

"The second half the other night was really outstanding against a very good team. We're playing better on defense now, and you sort of expect that as you go through the year to get better."

Leading that charge has been senior defensive back Justin Goldacker, who has racked up 100 tackles. Also helping that improved effort has been senior linebacker Michael Crowe with 89.5 tackles, junior linebacker William Fulton with 72.5 stops, including a team-high nine sacks. Senior defensive back Cameron Melancon leads Lamar with five interceptions and has added 57 tackles.

Still, that unit will be challenged by a Brookhaven offense that is averaging 39.5 points per game and excels through the air.

"I haven't seen much of it, and we've actually never played them before, but this year we've been doing a lot of running on defense and working on pass defense because they pass a lot," Goldacker said.

Added Lamar quarterback Witt Haggard: "We've really gone back to our mentality from this summer of 7-on-7, they throw it so much. But we're going to try and spread them out and throw it all over them, too.

"It should be a fun game."

Cougar quarterback Chandler Rogers has thrown for 3,460 yards with 41 touchdowns, while rushing for 932 yards and 13 scores. Rogers' weapons include wide receivers Tripp Jolly, who has hauled in 58 passes for 1,217 yards and 19 touchdowns, and Bubba Keane, who has 48 receptions for 993 yards and 15 scores.

"They're good," Barnes said. "They're very similar to us. They spread it out. Put the ball into that quarterback's hands, both running and throwing. They've got good speed, not real big. I mean just very similar to us.

"The fans will love it, I'm not sure the coaches will very much, but the fans will love the game. The potential for points in a state championship game, though, don't come near as easy as what people think. It won't be one of these 57-56 games like they had with Centreville a couple weeks ago. It'll be a lower scoring game because you tend to get conservative in big games, I think."

Text Only

Sports

Neel leaving champion War Eagles for Panthers
    Eric Neel spent three seasons coach at East Central. The Hornets played in three state championship games.
   Neel then coached the past three years at Wayne County, leading the War Eagles to three straight Class 5A fast-pitch state crowns.
   And now, he doesn’t see why the same can’t occur at Quitman. After guiding Wayne County to its third straight championship Saturday, Neel resigned his position in Waynesboro on Thursday to replace Kacie Roberson at Quitman.

May 26, 2012
Unexpected Honor
Winning a state championship, that Blake McMullen expected.
To be named the Player of the Year in Class 3A by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, that caught the Southeast Lauderdale senior off guard.

May 26, 2012 3 Photos
RCA’s Lee and pair of Generals chosen for All-Star tilt
Russell Christian Academy senior Camryn Lee and Newton County Academy duo Clay Upton and Dillon Williams will wrap up their senior seasons today.
The local trio will play in the MAIS All-Star Class A game at Smith-Wills Stadium in Jackson at 2 p.m. The Class AA-AAA game will follow.

May 25, 2012
McFarland named first-team All-American for Jones County
The honors continue to come in for the Jones County Junior College softball program.
Pitcher Ginger Lonergan and centerfielder Relanda McFarland were both named to the NJCAA Division II All-American first-team on Thursday.

May 25, 2012
A Family Affair
Five days. Two state titles. One family.
It’d be hard to find a family that had a better week than the one Robbi and Shay Cooper just experienced.

May 25, 2012 2 Photos
Roundup — Stephens receives Sekul Award
Adding to his impressive collection of coaching hardware, East Mississippi Community College head football coach Buddy Stephens was presented with the 2011 George Sekul Award during the All-American Football Foundation’s Banquet of Champions held earlier this month at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

May 24, 2012
The Drought Is Over
All Mason Irby was hoping for was to find a way on base.
The Southeast Lauderdale sophomore did that and so much more. Irby's single with two outs in the seventh inning broke a tie, lifting the Tigers to a 6-3 MHSAA Class 3A state championship win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday, and handing Southeast (32-7) its first title since 1966.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos 1 Slideshow
Ramey shines again, hurls Tigers to MHSAA Class 3A crown
    The bar was set pretty high.
   After all, Southeast Lauderdale senior right-hander Colby Ramey needed just 65 pitches to beat Kossuth in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game Thursday.
   However, according to fellow senior Blake McMullen, Ramey cleared the hurdle Wednesday when he scattered eight hits on 104 pitches to finish off the Aggies in a 6-3 state championship-clinching win at Smith-Wills Stadium on Wednesday.

May 24, 2012 2 Photos
Southeast wins MHSAA Class 3A Championsip Slideshow from the MHSAA Class 3A state championship game between Southeast Lauderdale and Kossuth.
May 23, 2012 1 Photo
Briarwood to host Emerald Coast Golf Tour in June
Professional golf is coming to Meridian.
The Emerald Coast Golf Tour will be holding the Meridian Pro-Am Classic at Briarwood Country Club June 26-29.

May 23, 2012
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Discussion

Raiders D looks to ground Cougars

Site Map

Contact Us