The Lake Oconee Academy football team is traveling to Griffin to face Skipstone Academy this Friday at 7:30 p.m. for the Titans’ third game of the season.
• Last Meeting: This will be the first meeting between Lake Oconee Academy and Skipstone Academy.
After a convincing win over Towns County last Friday, the Lake Oconee Academy football team will look to bring its momentum into its contest against Skipstone Academy.
In an interview with the Lake Oconee News earlier this week, Titans’ second-year head coach Patrick Stewart praised the Warriors for their size, but he believes the Titans still have some advantage up front.
“Skipstone is a great team, and they are very big upfront with an average of 300 pounds [per player] across the board,” Stewart said. “However, I believe our guys are in better shape and can move a lot better than their guys up front. It is going to be a battle won in the trenches, and this will be a great test for our guys.”
The Titans’ upcoming opponent is a part of the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools (GAPPS), an organization that is separate from the Georgia High School Association (GHSA).
Skipstone Academy had one of the best teams in GAPPS last season, finishing the year 11-1 with an undefeated region record. Even though they are part of a different organization, the talent is still undeniable.
The Warriors offense put up 63 points in their first game of the season, continuing their dominance from 2022 in which the team threw for over 600 yards and rushed for 3,000.
It will be a tall task for the Titans’ front seven to stop the Warriors’ rushing attack, but Stewart believes they can match up well. The veteran defensive line is quick to the ball and can utilize that against the oversized Skipstone linemen.
On top of that, Stewart also emphasized that they will be able to stop any offense through the air.
He acknowledged that last week’s defensive player of the week, Dylan Hiter, is a key part of the Titans’ secondary.
“Dylan Hiter was our defensive player of the week last week, and his sole job defensively was to stop their go-to wide receiver on offense,” Stewart said. “Towns came into the game targeting that one guy 19 of its 22 passes from their first game, and Dylan only allowed him to have one catch for two yards” On the flip side, the Warriors gave up 43 points to Lanier Christian Academy, so the Titans will look to move the ball down the field in a variety of ways.
With a 1-1 record, Lake Oconee Academy would be above .500 for the first time in program history, and with the way they’ve started the season, Stewart believes they can make that happen.