For the fourth consecutive year, the Lakeside Rams kick off prep football in Garland County, and this time they're cranking up the level of difficulty.
The Rams face Class 7A Little Rock Central at 7 p.m. today at War Memorial Stadium, a home game for the Tigers. Lakeside faces a team from the state's highest classification for the first time since 7A and 6A formed in 2006, playing a school from a higher class for the first time since Watson Chapel was in the old 5A in 2003.
"It'll be a tough ballgame for us," Lakeside coach Jared McBride said. "It's just like every year, that we want to win our first game. Kind of get the season off on the right foot. They're a very tradition-rich program, and a win against them would be a feather in our cap for sure."
Lakeside goes up against a program that leads Arkansas both in wins (787) and state championships (32). The Tigers fell on hard times after winning back-to-back state championships from 2003-04, but veteran coach Ellis "Scooter" Register has guided them to the postseason in each of his first five seasons on the job.
McBride said he is honored to coach against Register, a member of the Arkansas Officials Association Hall of Fame who inherited a Central program off winless '08 and '09 campaigns.
"He's a legend in our state," McBride said. "He's a great mentor, and he runs his programs well. It's exciting just to get to coach against one of his teams."
The 2015 opener came about because both teams finished one-year deals last season. Lakeside thrashed undermanned Lincoln (off its best season in school history) 36-0 in Fayetteville during Hootens.com Kickoff Week, and Central traveled to Texas and turned heads with a 38-0 rout of Dallas Madison.
The Lincoln game was so one-sided that Fisher Alexander played the entire second half, his other appearance coming in the fourth quarter against Hope. The junior makes his first varsity start tonight, replacing all-state quarterback Clint Smedley.
"I'm excited for him," said McBride. "He's had a good fall camp, and we're going to try to put him in good situations and let him do what he does, help lead our team."
McBride is also excited about showcasing his two star seniors, Maurice Bradford and Colt Housley, in the state's lone game of the night. Bradford, starting his third season on both sides of the ball, returns 910 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns from 2014, Housley gaining 631 yards and 10 touchdowns while not becoming the feature back until midseason.
With Bradford an outside linebacker and Housley the nose guard on defense, both give Lakeside a physical identity to a Spread team. The Rams go up against Central's Spread predicated on speed, with athletes running 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash such as wide receivers Cavan Polite and Donald Richardson and defensive back Bralen Summons, the latter receiving recruiting interest over the summer.
But the leader of Central's offense is senior running back Richard Hayes, also a part of that 4.5 club. Hayes tore his ACL in a 59-22 Week 10 loss to North Little Rock (at War Memorial, while NLR was building its new stadium) but not before he ran for 1,006 yards and 10 scores while tallying 364 receiving yards.
"He's a really good football player," McBride said. "He's a 1,000-yard back and a guy they'll depend on a bunch. Hopefully we can clog up his lanes and get onto him early. If he gets loose, it's going to be hard for us to catch him."
McBride said slowing Hayes is top priority in that the Tigers have a fresh face t quarterback. Sophomore Caleb Dallimore had the edge in fall camp, playing one varsity game as a ninth-grader.
McBride also knows playing Central will quickly get his team ready for the season, regardless of the outcome.
Sports on 09/03/2015