The Deweyville Pirates took it on the chin in their opening game of district last week against the Groveton Indians. Things do not get any easier this week for the Pirates when they play the Lovelady Lions. Groveton was the tenth ranked team in the state while Lovelady comes in ranked sixth.
The Lions run the Spread on offense. Lee Holsey is a really good quarterback and throws the ball well according to Pirates’ coach Lance Dale. Last season Holsey threw for 1,951 yards and 27 touchdowns while also rushing for 347 yards. At running back Lovelady starts sophomore Tim Johnson. Dale exclaims, “He has a lot of speed, and he’s a good running back.”
State ranked Lovelady went to the state semi-finals last year before suffering its only loss of the season. Dale says the Lions are very talented again this year on defense with their front seven being the heart of the defense. Lovelady’s 50 Defense is anchored by their noseguard Damario Mattingly. Standing about six-feet tall and weighing 380 pounds, Dale admits, Mattingly is going to be tough to move.
Deweyville will have a tough time with Lovelady Friday. Coach Dale analyzes what the Pirates must do to stay close with the Lions. One of the keys is Deweyville must have some long sustained drives to keep Lovelady’s offense off the field. Turnovers must be avoided, which means no fumbles or interceptions. Dale concludes by quoting the great Vince Lombardi, “Football is a simple game it comes down to blocking and tackling, we have to block on offense and tackle on defense.”
Friday night Deweyville plays Lovelady in District 12-2A action. The kickoff between the Pirates and the Lions will be at 7:00 PM in Deweyville.
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