SIBLEY – The Lakeside Warriors are in an unfortunately familiar position entering week three of the regular season.
The Warriors are winless at 0-2 following a loss to Plain Dealing last week. This Friday, Lakeside will be back at home as they hope to claim victory against the Grambling Kittens.
The Kittens will employ a spread offense similar to what the Warriors have run so far in 2016.
“(Grambling) has some real athletic receivers and skill guys,” Lakeside head coach Jason Martin said. “We have to be sure we keep those guys in front of us and play pretty good in the secondary.”
If the Warriors do mamage to keep the Kittens in front of them, the key will be tackling; something they didn’t do well last week against Keldrick Carper and the Lions.
“We’ve had kids in the right spots,” Martin said. “It’s just about making the tackle. We’ve been stressing that this week at practice in tackling drills everyday.”
The Warriors scored 26 points for the second time in as many games last week, a drastic improvement from 2015’s offensive output. Martin believes the key to continuing that production is the progression of Lakeside’s rushing attack with running back Brandon Jackson.
“Offensively, we have to establish that running game first,” Martin said. “We’re trying to build on the things we’ve been doing. We’ve definitely come a long way since the summer. We’re moving the football.”
Always an important part of every game, the battle in the trenches is one Martin says the Warriors can’t afford to lose Friday against the Kittens.
“On some of our negative plays we’re one guy away,” Martin said. “Sometimes it’s mental mistakes and sometimes it’s physical. Regardless, we need those guys to play well and open up holes for our running backs.”
The Warriors are looking to avoid an 0-3 start for the second straight season. Kickoff between Lakeside and Grambling is set for 7 p.m. in Sibley.