Both Sacred Heart and Lumberton enter their matchup with plenty to prove.
Each team is still perfect in region play, and both look to be contenders for South State.
The Crusaders are off to their first-ever 7-0 start and first-ever 2-0 start in region play. Meanwhile, Lumberton has rattled off three straight wins, bringing the Panthers back to their winning ways as they stand at 4-3 and 2-0 in the region.
Sacred Heart’s 7-0 start has lined up the 2023 season to be one of the best in school history, with one more win tying the most wins for the program. However, there has been no shortage of doubt surrounding the Crusaders’ start, with several statewide outlets refusing to rank them. To be fair, there is some credence with Sacred Heart’s opponents holding a combined record of 11-38.
“This team has accomplished things that haven’t been done before,” Sacred Heart coach Ed Smith said. “We ask them each week if they are satisfied. There is more out there that we can accomplish that hasn’t been done before. A victory over Lumberton is something that hadn’t been done before.”
Helping guide Sacred Heart to victory has been running back DJ Booth, who has run for 845 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“They are the best-coached team we will have played up all season,” Lumberton coach Jonathan Ladner said. “They are sound on offense and defense. They get after it on defense. I wouldn’t say they are flashy on offense, but they are consistent. They are going to scheme you up well. They do a really good job of having their guys lined up.
“The Booth kid is a tough back. We are going to have their hands full to limit him and slow him down. Then you can’t forget about their quarterback. He’s their X-factor. If you try to take away Booth, then he’s good enough to beat you, too.”
Yet defeating Lumberton would give Sacred Heart legitimacy as a true contender. The Crusaders have never defeated the Panthers in their eight all-time meetings, the most recent being a 44-0 loss in 2020, and have been outscored 359-57.
“We haven’t played Lumberton since (2020),” Smith said. “I don’t know if they have been down or haven’t been like the normal Lumberton the last couple of years just because we haven’t played them. The last time we played, they were Lumberton. Our guys that are older that have gone against them know the tradition that Lumberton has and the type of players that they have. We want to come out of this at least showing that we can compete.”
As for Lumberton, the past two years are not what Panther fans have come to expect. Even this year was not an ideal start as Lumberton dropped to 1-3, which was partially due to a hard, non-district schedule.
The difference in the season has been switching to Lathan Bowens at quarterback, who has emerged as a deadly ideal dual threat. This season, Bowens has thrown for 487 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, and completed 60% of his passes while running for 702 yards and three scores.
“This guy throws the ball well and runs the offense well,” Smith said. “He’s got tremendous speed. He may be the fastest guy that we have seen. We have to be sound and play assignment football. You can’t let him outside. You can’t stretch and give him creases inside. You have to maintain leverage while you squeeze down the running lanes, and that’s not easy to do against good linemen and a good football team.”
Previous quarterback Chase Toney has found a home as a wide receiver and member of Lumberton’s secondary.
“It’s an attribute to not just Lathan but also Chase, who is a kid that has started at quarterback for the last year and a half,” Ladner said. “He was banged up with an injury, and Lathan stepped in. The kids stepped in behind it, and we found Chase a role at receiver. It’s one of those things that kind of happened, and everyone has embraced their new role.”
The Panthers have now won four of their last five and, in the last three weeks, outscored opponents 98-16. For Ladner and company, a win against Sacred Heart would put the Panthers back on the map as a title contender.
“Looking at it now, we are kind of trending back to what Lumberton has always been about, which is competing for division and state championships,” Ladner said. “I do think both of us have something to prove. It’s for us to prove that we are back and a contender and for Sacred Heart to say they may be the new kid on the block in this area, but we are a contender, too. I’m excited about it. It’s going to be a great atmosphere. It’s going to be a playoff-type of atmosphere.”
Lumberton hosts Sacred Heart at 7 p.m. on Friday.
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