By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Preparatory School head football coach Glem Hall knows his Panthers have the desire.
Now Hall has the team focussed on determination.
The Panthers enter the Division IV Select School playoffs at 3-7 after two consecutive losses against higher-seeded teams — District 2-1A opponents Cedar Creek and Ouachita Christian.
Lincoln Prep is the No. 23 seed and will play at Ascension Catholic Friday night. Hall knows his team has the want. Now they have to execute the way.
“This is a very good team we’re going to be facing,” Hall said. “They have some big guys on the defensive line that can get after the quarterback. They’re coming.”
Hall also realizes the discipline that has helped Ascension Catholic win District 8-1A at 8-2 with the Bulldogs’ only two losses coming in one-score games against district foes Dunham (9-1) and Episcopal (9-1) in games decided by only one score.
“I talked to a coach that played against them this season,” Hall said “He said East Ascension is well-disciplined and that they’re talented.”
A big part of that talent lies in senior twins — quarterback Bryce Leonard and his brother, receiver Brooks Leonard.
Both Leonard brothers are Northwestern State baseball commitments.
“They throw a lot,” Hall said of the Bulldogs.. “They don’t throw a lot of deep passes. They try to do a lot of combination routes to get the ball out quick — that kind of stuff.”
Hall knows what’s needed against the kind of offense his Panthers will be facing.
“We have to get after the quarterback,” Hall said. “That’s the key. Sack him. Make him hurry. Get in his head. Get him quick, because if you give him just that one more second, he might hurt you.”
Offensively, Hall said it looks like an inside attack might be the way to start.
Lincoln Prep fullback/H-back Jamarius Buggs has been looking healthier recently after missing time with a leg injury but could be asked to step up his game against the Bulldogs.
“It’s hard to figure out how to attack good teams, but it looks like they might be susceptible to counters and traps, but also spread things out and try to keep them guessing with play-action passes,” Hall said.
While he’s juggled quarterbacks this season, Hall said he thinks senior Bralyn Mayfield presents the Panthers’ best option against the Bulldogs.
“Looking at Ascension, I think they’re a team that I need to have Bralyn in there more.” Hall said. “I need to be able to get the ball out and be able to throw some deep strikes on them, and Bralyn is the one who can make that happen.”
Ascension Catholic has reached the playoffs every year since 2015 but haven’t won a postseason contest since 2018.
So Hall knows the Bulldogs are hungry and his team has a challenge on their hands.
“They execute well — they have more experienced players,” Hall said. “That’s going to be part of our challenge. But I don’t mind this match-up. If we go in focused and confident, I feel good about it.”
Hall said he also knows it will take an all-out effort both on and off the field leading up to the contest for his Panthers to be in the proper mindset to win an opening-round playoff game for a second-straight season.
“I’ve talked to my assistant coaches and put a lot on them this weekend and told them they have to rally the troops,” Hall said. “We can’t have anybody sick this week. We can’t have anybody hurt this week.”
“We need all hands on deck. We have to be hungry. We have to want to win. We have to know we can win. If we have that, the way they (Ascension Catholic) throw the ball, and we get some pass rush on them, it may be a game worth seeing.”
