After a monumental comeback last week against Hancock Central, Lake Oconee Academy has shifted focus toward Brentwood Academy.
The Titans are 3-0 for the first time in school history, and they hope to keep that zero in the loss column.
Head coach Patrick Stewart is in his third season with the Titans and is happy with the team’s performance.
“Yeah, man, it feels great, but the Hancock game humbled us and the guys,” Stewart said. “We really needed that test.”
Brentwood could be the Titans’ toughest test yet, as the Eagles are 3-0, too.
“It’s going to be a really good test,” Stewart said. “They’ve been coached up extremely well and are physically disciplined.”
The Eagles run the Wing-T, an offense that LOA knows well, as it’s the same that Mount Paran and George Walton ran. The Titans defeated both of those teams earlier this season.
“It’s going to help us a lot by being used to it, but Brentwood is the best team we’ve seen so far that’s run it this well,” Stewart said.
The Eagles have rushed for over 200 yards in every game this season, so the LOA defense faces a tough task.
“They don’t do anything special, but they do what they do, and they do it extremely well,” Stewart said. “So, we’ve got to be at the right place and do our job to win this game.”
Stewart added that tackling well will be one of the main keys in this game. Poor tackling is how the Titans found themselves in a 22-point hole against Hancock Central.
“On offense, they run the Wing-T, and they are really good at it, and defensively, they are extremely physical,” Stewart said. “It’s definitely going to be a four-quarter ball game.”
The Titans came into this season with questions surrounding how they would perform now that they’re playing a region schedule.
Lake Oconee Academy is answering those questions with its early-season success, but with seven games left, it knows it can’t take its foot off the gas.
“We’ve got to continue to play with that chip on our shoulder and keep fighting like we’re down,” Stewart said. “If we keep doing that and talking about effort and resiliency, then we’ll be alright.”
LOA returns to the gridiron to face Brentwood this Friday at Tucker Field. Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m.