These are very unprecedented times for the Lakeside Panthers football team as it learns how to prepare in a different way for the biggest game of the year.
That game comes Friday when the Panthers (7-0, 5-0) are set to take the 197-mile trek down to Brunswick (6-1, 5-0) for what is likely to be a battle from start to finish between the two teams tied for first place in region 1-AAAAA.
It will also be the third game for Lakeside in eight days, thanks to a two-week hiatus caused by Hurricane Helene.
For Brunswick, it’s business as usual. The Pirates routed Statesboro last Friday and are ranked 9th in the state (according to the AJC poll), and their only loss came in a tough 51-41 loss to traditional South Georgia powerhouse Camden County in game one of the season.
No rest for the weary
As for Lakeside, it will have only three days of practice and film study before taking the field against Brunswick, but that’s not even the toughest part. Trying to prepare the team physically while keeping their legs under them is, according to head coach Steve Hibbitts, a rather daunting task.
“We planned it out,” Hibbitts said. “We come in and assess injuries, watch film and get somewhat of a game plan together. We’ve been killing the ice baths, everyday almost, lots of stretching.”
It’s almost impossible for the kids to come in and go full force the day after a game. Even if they are able to, they would be tired, and that can develop bad habits.
“It wouldn’t be good to bring them in the following day and try to do our regular practice,” Hibbitts said. “So, we will kind of focus on the next couple of days to go full force again.”
Now onto what to expect from Brunswick.
Brunswick’s powerful run game
The Pirates have a slow, methodical offense that wears opposing defenses down with their trio of great running backs.
William Heck is their lead back with 800 yards on 82 carries and six touchdowns. Nigel Gardner is the second option, and the sophomore has run for 461 yards on just 33 carries and has totaled three touchdowns. Rounding out the trio is another sophomore, Josiah Gibbons, who has run for 307 yards and four scores.
This makes life easy on their junior quarterback Grant Moore, who is no slouch himself, throwing for 1,057 yards and 12 touchdowns to only two interceptions. He’s also aided in the Brunswick rushing attack with 155 yards on the ground and two rushing touchdowns while averaging 6 yards per carry.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Pirates don’t allow many points, holding each of their last six opponents to 20 or less points. But they’ve yet to face an athlete like Ty Jones.
The Panthers’ star has now totaled 1,527 yards in only six games, but he hasn’t had to do it all by himself, and won’t again this week. Mi’keal Grissom, BJ Grissom and Solomon Humphrey, who’ve been massive this year, will need to play well again. Jack Thexton has also been a force on both sides of the ball.
That’s what it takes to be 7-0 and also to win these types of games and there is no doubt this team is built for the big moment.
Friday’s game will be just the fifth time these two teams have squared off, and Brunswick has won four of those meetings. The lone Lakeside victory came in 33-12 victory at home back in 2011.
