It was not that start Lumberton or any one would have guessed.
Bay Springs’ 32-0 win over the Panthers was the first time since 2015 that Lumberton was shut out.
“We got our butts whipped,” Lumberton coach Zach Jones said. “We got outplayed. We got outcoached. That starts with me, and that’s my fault. Our effort was not where it needed to be. We had somethings happen early that took away any kind of momentum we had. Bay Springs is a good football team, but maybe they brought us back down to reality.”
Lumberton put together just 192 yards of total offense with Robert Henry being held to 88 rushing yards and was 5-of-12 passing for 26 yards.
According to Jones, mental errors, missed assignments and penalties were key reasons in the Panthers’ ugly loss.
“I didn’t like our passing game, and that’s on me,” Jones said. “We were 7-for-16 with only 34 yards. Bay Springs did a great job of taking something away. We ran the ball well early, but we shot ourselves in the foot, to be honest with you.
“When you are playing a good football team, you cannot play behind the chains.”
Lumberton hopes to redeem itself against Stringer, who lost 51-0 to Enterprise to start the year. Despite the blowout, Stringer has been a traditional competitive 1A team, which is why Jones maintains respect for the Red Devils.
Stringer’s offense primarily runs the I-formation. Against Enterprise,
Stringer rushed for -3 yards on 16 attempts.
“They run the I-formation and have a couple of really good tailbacks,” Jones said. “They have pretty good size up front, and a lot of those guys are back. They will also spread it out and throw it some. Their quarterback is a really good baseball player that’s committed to Mississippi State. He throws it well when he has time, so we have to put pressure on him.”
In Stringer’s loss to Perry Central, the quarterback, James Bolton was 5-of-11 for 30 passing yards. Stringer’s longest catch of the night was for 14 yards.
“I think they run hard,” Jones said. “(Omarion Bridges) is more of the speed guy. He was probably their best football player last year. We have to be sure that we do a good job of bottling him up. He runs well and overall is probably their best player.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Stringer held teams to 16 points per game last year. According to Jones, Stringer uses its linebackers to be more aggressive in their scheme.
“I think their defensive line is their strong suit,” Jones said. “They have a 4-man front on film and like to bring a lot of pressure.
“They really like to bring in the linebackers and try and cause things to happen, which I think is smart on their part. We have to do a good job of being disciplined up front, picking up blitzes and giving our running backs times to make plays.”
For Jones, getting back on track with a win is not only big for the team’s record but huge in helping his players re-establish confidence.
Last season, Lumberton defeated Stringer 41-7.
On defense, the Panters were led by Trevon Jessie and Da’Byron Conerly combined for 22 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
“It’s big for our kids,” Jones said. “We still have the expectations of being a good football team.
“We have the talent to be a good football team. We just have to take care of us. We have to clean up our mistakes and play harder.”
For Jones, the upcoming game will be a major test of his team as well as his team’s character.
