Three weeks ago, Sacred Heart was forced to cancel its Friday night game against Salem and enter in COVID-19 protocol by suspending all team operations.
Fortunately, the Crusaders were finally able to return to practice last Friday.
“We are getting to play,” Sacred Heart coach Ed Smith said. “I think going into this season that the chances were pretty good that it would not be a normal season, and it may not be a full season. We kind of knew that going in.
“We got back out last Friday. You could tell there was a little rust as far as throwing and catching the ball and those kinds of things. I don’t feel like we have lost a lot of our (fitness). The kids were in pretty good shape. We conditioned pretty hard on Friday.”
However, Sacred Heart will return to face a hot Lumberton team that has now won three games in a row.
“Coming back out on the field, it’s a tough opponent to have to open up against,” Smith said. “You have to play those kinds of people sooner or later. We do have a game under our belt, but now we are getting back into practice. We’ll be ready to play for sure.”
Last week, Lumberton defeated a then-undefeated Sebastopol 38-15. Lumberton’s offense has averaged 271 rushing yards per game with the bulk of that production coming from quarterback/running back Robert Henry. Henry has run for 633 yards and nine touchdowns while passing for 286 yards and four touchdowns.
“You have got to keep in a small box and then try to have a lot of people around there,” Smith said. “If he gets outside and out on the perimeter, then bad things are going to happen. He is probably the best player in the state of Mississippi. One person trying to open field tackle him is probably not going to happen. You don’t want to get into a foot race with him either because you aren’t going to catch him. He can throw the football too. He’s got players around him. He’s not the only thing, but he makes things go for them.”
To recap, Sacred Heart opened its season with a 42-21 loss to West Lincoln. According to Lumberton coach Zach Jones, the main focus is stopping Sacred Heart quarterback Andrew Grubbs.
“You only get one game of film, but they looked improved compared to last season,” Jones said.
“They look like they run more shotgun than they have in the past. (Grubbs) looks like he throws the ball well and runs it well. They are trying to take advantage of his athleticism and his play, which is smart on their part. We are going to have to do a good job and keep our eyes on him and try to limit him Friday night.
“I thought he got better as the game went on (against West Lincoln). He is a kid that needs some game experience. I think he is a kid that will get better as he gets more experience.”
According to Jones, Sacred Heart’s defensive line tackles well, which will cause his team to prep more heading into the game.
“I think they are aggressive, and I think their defensive line and linebackers tackle pretty well,” Jones said. “We are going to have to do a good job of blocking up front.”
Since Lumberton’s Week 1 loss to Bay, the Panther defense has held teams to an average of 10 points. According to Smith, the key to Lumberton’s success is the team’s speed.
“They are so fast,” Smith said. “We can’t replicate it in practice. We try to show it on film and try to explain to them that those guys move. You have to take good angles on your blocking paths to try and get in their way. They crowd the line of scrimmage. They are real aggressive. They try to create havoc at the line of scrimmage. They run linebackers through, and those defensive ends come off the edge quick. You have to be really sound.”
