By T. Scott Boatright
Two schools only a few miles apart. Two football teams fighting for the playoffs in a tough District 1-1A.
One game in a Lincoln Parish showdown with both teams likely featuring similar offensive attacks — run the ball, run it again and run it one more time.
That’s what looks to be in store as Lincoln Prep travels a few miles to the northeast to take on Cedar Creek in a contest set to kick off at 7 p.m. today at Origin Bank Field.
Cedar Creek stands at 4-3 overall and 2-1 in district play while Lincoln Prep heads into the contest at 3-4 and 2-2 in 1-1A action.
The Cougars are coming off a 62-20 home loss to Haynesville while Lincoln Prep is riding a two-game win streak after going on the road last week and defeating Glenbrook 25-7.
It will be Cedar Creek’s Homecoming game, which has called for a little more off field management this week for Cougars coach Jacob Angevine.
“Trying to keep 15- through 18-year-old boys on a good swivel with all the other things going on, like being up at 9 o’clock on a Thursday — that’s a challenge,” Angevine said. “Lincoln Prep is clicking at the right time and we’re going to have a big task.
“It’s Homecoming, and we’ve got all the distractions and all the glitz and glamor that is Homecoming, and it’s going to be a big challenge for us. We’ve got a really good football team coming in and it’s going to be a real test for our team in more ways than one.:”
Panthers coach Chaunce Davison said he is expecting a hard-fought contest on both sides tonight.
“It’s a good matchup,” Davison said. “I think we’re about even. (Cedar Creek) came out and got an early lead and ended up scoring about 20 points against Haynesville. I think it’s going to be a good game — a tough game,”
Davison also hopes his team knows how important this game will be for both programs.
“It should mean something because we’re trying to finish 6-4,” Davison said of his Panthers taking on the Cougars. “I know on the other side of town, Cedar Creek is trying to get things right. And we’re trying to get things right. So it should mean a lot of our players.”
Davison also hopes his players will be primed for the intra-parish matchup that goes back to his high school playing days as a Grambling Laboratory High School Kitten.
“I always liked playing Cedar Creek. We played them back in high school (when Davison was a Grambling Lab Kitten). That was always a game where we came to play. And that’s what I hope to see our guys do this week.”
Both coaches admit they expect it to be a run-based game for both teams.
“They really want to keep the ball on the ground,” Angevine said about the Panthers. “They’ve got a really good trio of backs that they can hand the ball off to. They’ve got athletes. But we’ve done a good job. Our offensive line has done a good job these last few weeks of really paving holes for guys to run through. I think we’re averaging close to 100 yards there. Peyton Harris is averaging close to 100 yards the past three or four weeks, so he’s obviously stepped up big time.
“But that’s all credit to our offensive line on that. They’ve done a really good job. It’s really going to be a smashmouth football game, I think. Earlier in the season I think Lincoln Prep wanted to live and die by the pass. But they’ve really shifted to a really downhill running football team. They’re pretty dangerous with it and have a couple of good wins the past couple of weeks.”
After earning those two wins against spread offenses, the Panthers know stopping the run will be a key against the Cougars.
“This time it’s going to be trying to stop that veer option (offense),” Davison said. “We’re just going to tackle everybody. Tackle your assignment. That’s all we need to do. That’s all we’re going to do.”
Angevine admits the Panthers might have the edge at the skill positions but hopes his Cougars can win the war in the trenches.
“At the skill positions, they have athletes — I think they have us,” Angevine said. “But in the trenches, I really like our guys. I think it’s going to be a really good dogfight. I think we’re a little more experienced up front than they are, so that’s definitely going to help us.
“But man, they’ve got speed for days. So that’s going to be a lot of pressure on our defense, for sure, to keep them contained and limit the big plays. But I feel like we stack up really well against them.”
