Lake Oconee Academy played one of two scheduled preseason scrimmages last Friday and easily defeated Cherokee Christian 28-10 at Tucker Field in Greensboro.
LOA head coach Patrick Stewart said he was thoroughly impressed with his team, especially since he thinks Cherokee Christian provided a legitimate challenge.
Still, he admitted there were both positives and negatives to take away from the experience.
“We knew it would be a good test for the first [scrimmage]. It gave us an outlook on what we’ll have for the season and what we need to work on for this upcoming scrimmage,” Stewart said. “It was great to just get out there in pads early because we like playing two scrimmages rather than having a spring. It worked out well for us.”
The Titans dominated the Warriors, led by senior quarterback Ike O’Neal, who passed for 250 yards through three quarters. Senior wide receiver Hayes Fleming was his top target, totaling 131 receiving yards.
Stewart also credited running back Walker Poyner for adding some tough yards, especially on third down.
“He’s our speed guy, and he ran hard all game long,” Stewart said of Poyner. “He picked up yards on a consistent basis.”
LOA’s defensive line also shined, pressuring Cherokee Christian’s quarterback all night. Mason Salemi, Keenan Parham, and Kaleb Mathis wreaked havoc in the Warriors’ backfield, holding them to only 10 points.
Cherokee Christian’s talented rushing attack never got going. Also, LOA defensive back Kam Geter made several plays on the back end.
Overall, the Titans dominated the Warriors from start to finish, allowing their younger players to play invaluable live game reps.
“We were able to get our JV (junior varsity) guys some playing time,” Stewart said. “It was good work all around.”
The coach believed his team improved because Cherokee Christian was a “tough test.” Stewart and his coaching staff took away positives and negatives from the scrimmage and used them as a measuring stick.
“There are always things we can do to improve. That’s what we are going to do this week,” Stewart said. “Last year, when we scrimmaged Cherokee Christian, the score was close, so this year’s result is a lot better.”
LOA will compete in a jamboree at Strong Rock Christian this Thursday before its season opener on Aug. 16 against Mount Paran Christian.