Scoop27
11-21-2013, 10:46 AM
By JOEL LUNA joel.luna@thefacts.com | 0 comments
WEST COLUMBIA — It is back to the scene of the crime as Columbia takes on West Orange Stark.
The Roughnecks (4-6) will face the Mustangs (9-1) for the second year in a row at Ray Maddry Stadium, just like a year ago. Last year’s meeting was a bidistrict matchup opposed to this year’s area round.
“It’s West Orange Stark, all they do is reload,” Columbia coach Randy Lynch said Wednesday afternoon before his team’s practice.
West Orange Stark, ranked No. 13 in the final regular season Associated Press poll, have beaten the Roughnecks in five previous meetings, including last year’s 20-10 victory.
“We’ve had a good week of practice so far and we were happy for the win last week,” Lynch said. “It just seems like the energy level this week is a bit more noticeable.”
Columbia’s second-half performance against Houston Yates allowed them to move on in the playoffs. Lynch is hoping that kind of play continues.
“It really is going to come down to them executing,” he said. “They certainly fought hard and they were able to put together a complete game last week for the first time this year. Yates played well but we took the second half kickoff and the offense fed off from the defensive side of the ball. Like I said, when our team executes and does what it has to do, we can be successful.”
Stark has a sophomore starting quarterback, Dillon Sterling Cole who had quite a game against Huffman-Hargrave. He completed 19-of-25 passes for 384 passing yards, six touchdowns and an interception as the Mustangs accumulated 490 yards of offense.
Cole (88-of-140, 1,526 yards, 15 TDs, two interceptions for the season) took over on the second game of the season and has prospered as the year has gone on.
“Offensively they are more explosive and it will come down to a matter of their speed against us controlling the ball,” Lynch said. “But what a sophomore (Cole). He is very poised and does a lot of the short game stuff. But he can throw it deep.”
Stark’s run game had four main contributors, including Chris James (93 carries, 648 yards, 6.97 per carry, four TDs), Cole (79-345, 4.37, seven TDs), Chase Ruthledge (59-305, 5.17, two TDs) and Dwain Boullard (16-225, 14 yds per carry, four TDs)
Cole’s top receivers were Will Johnson (27-539 yards, 19.96 yards per catch, eight TDs) and Dionte Thompson (27-495, 18.3, three TDs).
“They are a perennial playoff team and they just reload every year,” Lynch said. “Their coaching staff does a great job with them. They are younger this year, especially on defense, where they had eight seniors last year, but they still fly to the ball. They have a safety who committed to Alabama already and he is just a junior.”
He is part of a Mustang defense that has given up 102 points in 10 games this season.
Columbia will counter with a super sophomore of its own in Dakarius Bell (263-1,815 yards, 24 TDs, 6.9 per carry). He will be joined in the backfield by junior quarterback and first-year starter under center, Jarius Kesee (72-of-164, 1,007, nine TDs, seven interceptions).
The weather could be a factor Friday night.
“I’ve seen two different forecasts, and one is saying it might blow through early in the afternoon,” Lynch said. “Otherwise, it will be cold and windy, but that is something that doesn’t concern us much. We’ve practiced in rain before just to get use to those conditions.”
As the season has continued, the Roughnecks have had 10 or more sophomores on the team, including many who are starting and others who are getting some extensive playing time. It seems like they might have grown up just a bit with the big win against Yates last week.
“I think they finally realized that if we win we move on, and if we don’t we will not move on,” Lynch said. “They know about West Orange Stark and know the challenge ahead. They are pretty excited.”
Columbia will be without the services of nose tackle Marcus Farris, who was injured on the first play of last week’s game.
“Our center and middle linebacker were a bit banged up going into last week’s game, but this week they are moving along better,” Lynch said. “We need to eliminate turnovers and just do our jobs. But we will be ready to play.”
The quarterfinal round awaits either La Vega or Jasper.
WEST COLUMBIA — It is back to the scene of the crime as Columbia takes on West Orange Stark.
The Roughnecks (4-6) will face the Mustangs (9-1) for the second year in a row at Ray Maddry Stadium, just like a year ago. Last year’s meeting was a bidistrict matchup opposed to this year’s area round.
“It’s West Orange Stark, all they do is reload,” Columbia coach Randy Lynch said Wednesday afternoon before his team’s practice.
West Orange Stark, ranked No. 13 in the final regular season Associated Press poll, have beaten the Roughnecks in five previous meetings, including last year’s 20-10 victory.
“We’ve had a good week of practice so far and we were happy for the win last week,” Lynch said. “It just seems like the energy level this week is a bit more noticeable.”
Columbia’s second-half performance against Houston Yates allowed them to move on in the playoffs. Lynch is hoping that kind of play continues.
“It really is going to come down to them executing,” he said. “They certainly fought hard and they were able to put together a complete game last week for the first time this year. Yates played well but we took the second half kickoff and the offense fed off from the defensive side of the ball. Like I said, when our team executes and does what it has to do, we can be successful.”
Stark has a sophomore starting quarterback, Dillon Sterling Cole who had quite a game against Huffman-Hargrave. He completed 19-of-25 passes for 384 passing yards, six touchdowns and an interception as the Mustangs accumulated 490 yards of offense.
Cole (88-of-140, 1,526 yards, 15 TDs, two interceptions for the season) took over on the second game of the season and has prospered as the year has gone on.
“Offensively they are more explosive and it will come down to a matter of their speed against us controlling the ball,” Lynch said. “But what a sophomore (Cole). He is very poised and does a lot of the short game stuff. But he can throw it deep.”
Stark’s run game had four main contributors, including Chris James (93 carries, 648 yards, 6.97 per carry, four TDs), Cole (79-345, 4.37, seven TDs), Chase Ruthledge (59-305, 5.17, two TDs) and Dwain Boullard (16-225, 14 yds per carry, four TDs)
Cole’s top receivers were Will Johnson (27-539 yards, 19.96 yards per catch, eight TDs) and Dionte Thompson (27-495, 18.3, three TDs).
“They are a perennial playoff team and they just reload every year,” Lynch said. “Their coaching staff does a great job with them. They are younger this year, especially on defense, where they had eight seniors last year, but they still fly to the ball. They have a safety who committed to Alabama already and he is just a junior.”
He is part of a Mustang defense that has given up 102 points in 10 games this season.
Columbia will counter with a super sophomore of its own in Dakarius Bell (263-1,815 yards, 24 TDs, 6.9 per carry). He will be joined in the backfield by junior quarterback and first-year starter under center, Jarius Kesee (72-of-164, 1,007, nine TDs, seven interceptions).
The weather could be a factor Friday night.
“I’ve seen two different forecasts, and one is saying it might blow through early in the afternoon,” Lynch said. “Otherwise, it will be cold and windy, but that is something that doesn’t concern us much. We’ve practiced in rain before just to get use to those conditions.”
As the season has continued, the Roughnecks have had 10 or more sophomores on the team, including many who are starting and others who are getting some extensive playing time. It seems like they might have grown up just a bit with the big win against Yates last week.
“I think they finally realized that if we win we move on, and if we don’t we will not move on,” Lynch said. “They know about West Orange Stark and know the challenge ahead. They are pretty excited.”
Columbia will be without the services of nose tackle Marcus Farris, who was injured on the first play of last week’s game.
“Our center and middle linebacker were a bit banged up going into last week’s game, but this week they are moving along better,” Lynch said. “We need to eliminate turnovers and just do our jobs. But we will be ready to play.”
The quarterfinal round awaits either La Vega or Jasper.