Each week, football coaches meet, usually on Sunday, to begin preparation for this week’s opponent. They go over hours of tape looking for the best way to move the football and stop opposing offenses.
This week’s opponent, Lake Cormorant, brings what may be the best rushing attack in Class 6A. The Gators have rushed for an average of 295 yards a game this season. They are led by senior quarterback Tylen Mathews, who is a University of Nevada-Las Vegas commit as a defensive back. Through eight games, he has rushed for 1,369 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Grenada High School head coach Michael Fair said the Gators may be one-dimensional, but they sport one of the best running games his teams have faced.
“It’s no question that they love to run the football,” he said. “They will use two tight ends to four tight ends depending on the set they are in, and they are snapping the ball to one of the better athletes in the state, regardless of classification. He runs behind a really big offensive line, and it’s obvious they believe in what they are doing. It gives them the best chance to be successful. They are going to run the football no matter the down and distance. There are very few negative plays in this offense – all their backs need is a small hole and can score on any play.”
Fair thinks the game will come down to matchups at the line of scrimmage.
“You got to have players at the line of scrimmage,” he said. “That is what this game is going to take. We will put some players up there and see what happens. The bottom line is we are going to have to win some matchups up front and tackle well. We are not a finished product, but we are going to have to grow up quick. Friday’s going to be a physical game.”
Fair compared this game to all those years of lining up against West Point, a Class 5A power that Fair faced during his years at Lafayette.
“They are doing the same things that West Point during my time at my last stop,” he said. “It’s a reason they are doing what they do.”
The Chargers coming a last-second 48-41 loss at South Panola last week. Fair is using the positives from the game to use this week.
“We didn’t quit last week,” Fair said when talking about his team’s effort against the Tigers. The guts that our guys showed. There was so much that went wrong in that game and for us to still have a chance to win the game at the end. Our guys never lost faith.”
The third-year Grenada High School head coach recalled a moment in last week’s game that will stick with him.
“We used our timeouts to save as much of the clock as we would for the final drive,” Fair concluded. “The offensive guys came to the huddle each time encouraging them to get a stop. A lot of places would have been pointing fingers – our team is tight and together. It was evident on that final drive.”
Offensively, seniors Brayden Trusty and Zayion Cotton lead the Chargers offense through eight games. Trusty is 94-of-155 for 1,453 yards and 16 touchdowns to go with one interception. Cotton is the leading receiver with 38 receptions for 726 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Defensively, senior Jereon Reed leads the way with 74 tackles – 9 tackles for losses.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Senior Night is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. where senior football, cheerleader, NJROTC and Band will be recognized.
