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Lakeland Looks To Hold Off an Angry Kathleen
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Courtesy: TheLedger.com By BRANDT MERRITT | THE LEDGER Throw out the records, throw out the statistics, even throw out the rosters. Only two things matter when Lakeland and Kathleen renew their crosstown rivalry tonight at Bryant Stadium, and those are the letters on the helmets. It's been 17 years since the Red Devils beat the Dreadnaughts. Kathleen might be 3-6 after forfeiting six games for using an ineligible player, but the Red Devils are unbeaten on the field this season and feature a deep, fast team that could give the school its best chance in years to knock off Lakeland. "Our kids have a lot of respect for Kathleen," Lakeland coach Bill Castle said. The Dreadnaughts (9-0) are ranked No. 2 in Class 5A and wrapped up the 5A-4 district championship last week with a victory against George Jenkins. They'll go for their 21st consecutive regular season win tonight. Castle said he expects Kathleen's defense to make it tough for his offense to move the ball and that the Red Devils' team speed stands out on both sides, especially at linebacker with Gionni Paul and Andrew Jackson. "It's just a shame they're not going to be in the playoffs because they'd have a great shot at making a run at state," he said. Running back Rodney Watson is questionable for the Dreadnaughts after hurting his knee against Jenkins, but otherwise Lakeland is healthy. Red Devils coach Irving Strickland said his team isn't putting any more emphasis on beating Lakeland just because his team is no longer eligible for the playoffs. "This is not our championship game," he said. "This is our 10th game of the season." Kathleen dismantled district rival Lake Gibson, 42-7, last week, and he said the key to getting a win against Lakeland will be limiting the Dreadnaughts' big plays. In last season's 30-0 Lakeland win, Jarred Haggins and Javares McRoy connected on touchdown passes of 69 and 55 yards, and the duo has produced similar results in earlier games this season. "We feel like we can match up being physical and with our speed," Strickland said. "We just have to eliminate the big plays that they normally get and make some big plays of our own." The Red Devils' passing game is capable of big plays of its own, led by quarterback Isaac O'Neal (1,468 passing yards, 10 touchdowns) and receivers Marcus Cunningham, Jacques Mackeroy and Brayun Andrews. But Strickland expects Lakeland's defense to be stout as well, led by its linebacking duo of Will Lucas and Quayshawn Nealy. Both coaches said they expect the atmosphere to be intense, with a crowd close to 10,000 expected to fill the stands. "The community's going to turn out for it," Castle said. "There's no doubt about it." Strickland said he's looking forward to being in front of the Bryant Stadium crowd. "Playing in this game and now coaching in this game, you always get goosebumps," he said. "You always get excited. "I love seeing myself on the jumbotron."
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