As anticipated before the season, the matchup between Sacred Heart and Lumberton would likely dictate the outcome of Region 8-1A.
For both squads, the matchup will be critical in controlling their respective destinies. For Lumberton (5-2), the Panthers are off to a 2-0 start, and a likely third win would essentially guarantee the region title. Despite having the opportunity to be in the driver’s seat, the Panthers’ 17-7 loss last season to Sacred Heart is still fresh.
“They beat us last year, and I think that’s one thing that our guys remember. We had a chance last year and didn’t take advantage of it,” Lumberton coach Jonathan Ladner said. “That’s been the rallying cry, so to speak. It probably cost us the division championship because we were not ready that week.”
As for Sacred Heart, the Crusaders experienced an unexpected loss to East Marion, dropping them to 6-1 overall and, more importantly, 1-1 in region play. However, a victory over Lumberton would be the difference in a tiebreaker should both teams win out.
“You definitely know that if you are going to win a region championship that you are going to have to beat Lumberton to do it,” Sacred Heart coach Ed Smith said. “We are 1-1 in the region, but you can look at it as everybody has a loss in the region except for Lumberton. It’s good to still have them in front of you. If you can win that game, then if it comes down to a head-to-head, then we’ve got it. We basically control our destiny if we win this game.”
There is no shortage of special matchups and players, with the glaring highlight being each team’s quarterback.
For Lumberton, Lathen Bowens is on the path of having one of the best single-season years by a Panther ever. This year, he has passed for 1,168 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions and run for 1,070 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“You have to have people where they are supposed to be,” said Smith when asked on how to stop Bowens. “It’s going to take four or five of us to corral him. He is as good as we’ve seen. He’d be hard to tackle in a phone booth. If we let him get any space at all, then we’re hurting ourselves. We have to play sound and fundamental.”
For the Crusaders, quarterback Kyron Murphy has thrown for 1,020 yards, 15 touchdowns, two picks and run for 193 yards and two scores.
“If you want to honestly say who makes them go, the answer is Murphy,” Ladner said. “He gets the ball to guys and extends plays.
“He is to Sacred Heart what Lathen is to us. He’s that guy who gets the ball where it needs to go. He understands the offense and the scheme. He plays within the system. He’s almost like a field general.”
Each quarterback’s top wide receiver is equally as special. Lumberton’s Chase Toney has hauled in 39 catches for 561 yards and nine touchdowns, while Sacred Heart’s Gary Duckworth has recorded 24 catches for 560 yards and nine touchdowns. Notably, each player will play on both sides of the ball bouncing between receiver and defensive back.
While that matchup stands out for both coaches, for Ladner, the tougher matchup will be stopping Crusader running back Adam Sneed, who has run for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“We knew coming into the season that they were going to have big shoes to fill at the running back spot with losing DJ Booth,” Ladner said. “Without skipping a beat, Sneed has stepped in and done a tremendous job of taking those big shoes. Evidently, he has got big feet because he has filled them.
“They are probably the most balanced team on film with the run and pass.”
Naturally, each team is equally balanced on defense. For Lumberton, the Panthers have three different players who recorded at least 60 tackles. However, ChaKobe Adams and Kaleb Young terrorized offensive lines as they have combined for 20 tackles for loss and have five sacks each.
“They don’t look tremendously big, but they are as fast if not faster than East Marion,” Smith said. “Sometimes it looks like there are 13 or 14 of them out there because they move around so fast. They are well-coached on defense, and you know they are going to have a good plan. We have to execute and can’t make mistakes that hurt ourselves, and we have to hold on to the football. If we do that, then we will give ourselves a chance to stay in the game.”
For Sacred Heart, Ladner credits the Crusaders’ coaching and ability to scheme against opposing offenses as part of their success. George Underwood leads Sacred Heart with 64 tackles, while Jameson Phillips holds a team-leading six TFLs and five sacks.
“They are coached up on defense,” Ladner said. “Coach (Drew) Dewease does a phenomenal job. I don’t think I’ve seen them line up the same way for two plays in a row. They do a good job of finding tendencies and giving changeups and curveballs to the opposing offense.
“I think it’s going to come down to two things. The first is who tackles better because I think both of our offenses are capable of putting up crooked numbers. I also think from the offensive side that whoever can exploit their best matchup the most will be the offense that scores the most points.”
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