By Jamie Wachter / executive sports editor
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."
