PREP FOOTBALL: Riding shutout, LSA wants more

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of stories previewing Friday night’s high school football matchups. Today: ICSGA-2A.

Lee-Scott pitched a shutout for the first time this season last Friday against Morgan Academy, and held its dual-threat quarterback Austin Smitherman to 67 rushing yards and 68 yards passing.

Not good enough for the Warriors’ coach.

“Well, he didn’t go for 178 like the Macon-East guy did,” Lee-Scott coach Robert Maddox said. “I don’t feel like we stopped him, but we slowed him down.

“We looked a little bit like Auburn in the first half the other night, when that (West Virginia) quarterback kept breaking contain.”

Even so, the Warriors’ defense has been a big reason behind their two-game winning streak, a much-needed one after a 0-2 start.

Lee-Scott will have to continue that trend Friday against Hooper Academy and its star back Morgan Faulkner, who scored 32 of the Colts’ 34 points in a win over Glenwood two weeks ago.

“He’s certainly a weapon,” Maddox said. “He’s the cog that makes their offense go.”

Springwood at Sparta
Next week, the Wildcats are off. The week after, they travel to face an Edgewood team that hasn’t lost in 18 games.

This week? Sparta Academy, which has yet to score this season.

Springwood coach Ronnie Sikes said the thought that his players might overlook Sparta and crane their necks toward the Edgewood game has crossed his mind.

“We’re so young, we told the kids to just focus on us getting better,” Sikes said. “We’ve got Edgewood after the break, and they’re the defending state champions. So that makes it kind of tough.”

With its defense coming together and Keon Brown and Trevor McCullough leading a ground game that is averaging 227 yards per game, Springwood is in prime position for its first winning season since 2003.

Sikes credited the line — especially John Carter Norman, Mitchell Smallwood and Gates Rodimon — with the Wildcats’ improved rushing attack.

Then there’s always Brown, with his 499 yards, 7.6 yards per carry and five scores.

“He’s a good athlete, but he also hits the holes real quick,” Sikes said.

Trinity Christian (Ga.) at Ballard Christian
This week’s visitors to Sluder Field have accounted for one-third of the all-time losses for the Eagles, who are 12-3 in their second year of existence.

Trinity jumped out early at its place last year, going up by 24 in the first quarter before a Ballard comeback fell just short in a 57-49 win for the home team.

Couple that with a Ballard win in last year’s jamboree — the first game Ballard ever played — and these two have all the makings of an old-fashioned rivalry. Even though they’re 80 miles apart.

“It’s kind of become a little rivalry,” Ballard coach Buddy Hammock said. “The fact that they’re better than they were last year and we’re better than we were last year just makes the kids more excited for it.”

Ballard has yet to be really challenged this year. Although Faith Christian jumped out to a two-score lead last week, Ballard pounded its line until it gave in a 52-18 win.

Hammock expects that “unchallenged” streak to end against undefeated Trinity.

“This will be one of the best teams we’ll see until the playoffs,” Hammock said.