Following a 16-0 win over Mount Paran Christian in the season opener, Lake Oconee Academy has now set its sights on George Walton Academy, hoping for a 2-0 start for the first time in school history.
“We try to restart every week as 0-0, and this week, that’s our mindset,” LOA head coach Patrick Stewart said. “We’re really looking forward to George Walton. That’s going to be a really big test for us.”
The Titans are still looking for their first win over the Bulldogs since LOA’s football program started in 2021.
This week, Lake Oconee Academy’s main focus in practice will be formation recognition.
“George Walton does some exotic formations, so just being able to get our kids to recognize those formations will be big because you don’t really see them week in and week out,” Stewart said.
The third-year coach also mentioned playing low and physical up front, as that’s what his team will need to do to win this game.
Following the win over Mount Paran, Stewart said the Titans still have some things to work out.
“Offensively, we’ve just got to get our guys in a rhythm and confidence and just thinking about when you make a mistake, move on and attack the next play,” he said.
Stewart explained that many of his guys try to be perfect, think about a bad play too much, and can’t move on from it.
“We’re trying to break that and get back to the next play mentality and do great every play,” he said.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 42-7 win over St. Francis in which they rushed for 262 yards. They will try to mirror that success against a stout LOA defense that favors stopping the run.
“They’re a run-heavy offense as well, so we’ve got to stop the run and see if we can pull it out,” Stewart said. “It’ll for sure be a physical four-quarter ball game.”
The Titans held Mount Paran to 143 yards rushing and will be looking for another game like that from their defense against the Bulldogs. Stewart preached how the backbone of the George Walton team is its linemen up front.
“That’s the same with us, as we have a heavy senior-led line,” he said. “So, it’s going to be a battle in the trenches this Friday.”
Kickoff for the game is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Tucker Field in Greensboro.