Following a two-week hiatus due to Hurricane Helene, Lake Oconee Academy’s football team (5-1) returns to the gridiron this Friday as it travels to take on Warren County (4-2) to begin region play.
Last week’s game against Washington Wilkes was postponed until Nov. 8, so the Titans have had extra time to prepare for their region opener against the Screaming Devils.
“Having that extra time to prepare for this week has been huge,” Lake Oconee Academy head coach Patrick Stewart said. “We’ve been taking advantage of every day.”
Warren County comes into this game with a 4-2 record and is currently riding a two-game winning streak.
Stewart said that the Warren County offense is simple from a scheme perspective.
“They don’t do anything crazy offensively, so we’ve got to eliminate the explosive plays,” Stewart said.
Warren County has a strong skill group core that can be dangerous when given the opportunity. The Screaming Devils like to get the ball into space and attack the perimeter of the opposing defense.
“They’re extremely athletic,” Stewart said. “They have a lot of skill guys that when they get the ball in their hands, they can break a lot of explosive plays.”
Stewart added that the linebackers need to play a complete game to give his team the best chance to win.
“Those guys have to have a big game, especially when calling the defense, and also be able to fill in the gaps and tackle,” Stewart said. “Upfront, we’ll be okay because our guys in the trenches usually get it done.”
LOA stuck to the run game to start the year but has recently opened up the passing attack as each week goes by. Quarterback Ike O’Neal has been solid in his last few outings for the Titans’ offense.
“I think we’re going to be pretty well balanced,” Stewart said. “If you’re able to run the ball, then you’ll be able to pass the ball because it frees up the backend.”
This is LOA’s first region game in the school’s history, so it’s new territory for Stewart and the program. The Titans are entering the most important part of their season with four games remaining.
“Going into region play, it’s going to be all about effort and execution,” Stewart said. “We’ve got our four toughest games that we’ll have coming up, but I think the non-region schedule we had really prepared us.”
If LOA wants to make a run at becoming region champions, starting hot against Warren County is huge.
The Titans travel to Warrenton this Friday to open region play against the Screaming Devils. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
“We’re really excited to get started with region play,” Stewart said.