Lumberton’s tough non-region schedule continues to be difficult for the Panthers.
Last week, Lumberton held its own against a 4A powerhouse in a 23-0 loss to Poplarville. Despite the Panthers’ defense having strong outings in back-to-back weeks, the main goal now is for the offense to find momentum as Lumberton takes on Wesson this week.
“The goal this week is to get the offense going,” Lumberton coach Jonathan Ladner said. “That starts with me as the head coach and offensive play-caller. I have to do a better job of putting us in better situations.
“I have to do a better job of putting our guys in situations to be successful. It starts with me. That’s a big focus this week.”
Wesson (2-1) comes off a 30-26 win over Wilkinson County.
On offense, the Cobras have averaged 33.6 points per game.
Wesson features junior Will Loy at quarterback, who has thrown for 417 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. His top targets are Tarayvian Miller and Justin Hailey, who have combined for 15 catches, 330 yards and three touchdowns.
“The quarterback is the head coach’s son,” Ladner said. “He’s a junior and is a good player. It starts with him since they can throw it. They are built offensively, kind of how you want a team with two pretty good backs and a good quarterback. They distribute the ball around pretty good.”
Like the passing game, the Cobras also have a solid group of running backs between Collin McGowan and Zevantae Stapleton. McGowan leads the team in rushing with 369 yards and four touchdowns, while Stapleton has run for 229 yards and two touchdowns.
“McGowan is more of their power back,” Ladner said. “He tends to run between the tackles a little bit more. He will run outside, but he’s more of their power back. Stapelton seems to be more their slasher, outside guy. They try to get him into space and get him to the edge. Those two guys complement each other well.”
As a linebacker, McGowan is also a key leader on Wesson’s defense as he tied for the lead in tackles at 27. Linebackers Lane Westrope and Lucas McRee have 27 and 24 tackles, respectively.
“Defensively, they are a pretty physical team,” Ladner said. “The McGowan kid is their bell cow on defense. He’s a really good player. He has all the makings to be a dynamic guy at the next level too. He can run and can tackle. He leads the ship, but they are very sound at everything they do. We are going to have our hands full.
“They mainly base out of a 4-3 on defense. Their defensive line plays really hard, but their linebackers are probably their strong suit. Those are their three leading tacklers. They have kind of built that defensive unit around their front. Those defensive tackles and defensive ends pick up blocks, and their linebackers fly around and make plays. We are going to do our best to try and block everybody.”
According to Ladner, Lumberton is by no means panicking, whether they win or lose this week.
“Our kids understand why we loaded the front end of our schedule,” Ladner said. “We wanted to make sure that we were tested and ready for when those big division games come. Our kids are not going to panic.
“Every week, we want to compete and have a chance to win a ball game, but I think our kids have that big-picture mentality from the success we have had the last several years.”
