W.T. White at Lake Highlands, 7:30 p.m. at The Boneyard
LHHS head coach Scott Smith talks about focus every single week, especially now that the Wildcats are in District 9-5A play. He wants his players to focus on the field, focus in their classrooms and focus on “what we do well as a team.”
During homecoming weekend, it almost has to go to another level.
“Distractions,” Smith said. “There are alot of distractions. I think it’s great though because it is a teaching tool for us. When teams get into the playoffs that’s a big percentage of who goes to the next round; how you handle the distractions. From a coaching perspective homecoming doesn’t change anything for us. But I’m sure the kids want to be successful. We just want them to focus on playing the same game they usually play, having fun and getting better for next week.”
To give you a little update on how the Wildcats look offensively:
- Desmond Roland is in the Top 12 in the area rushing with 621 yards, 8.9 yards per carry. He is also third in touchdowns with 11 behind Arlington Sam Houston’s Jamal Turner, 15, and Mansfield’s Damon Bullock, 12.
- Michael Ketchmark has completed over 65 percent of his passes and thrown five touchdowns.
- DeVonte Sunwenghan is among the area leaders in touchdowns with four and averages 22 yards per catch.
- Lake Highlands averages 395 yards per game and nearly 39 points per game.
W.T. White poses an interesting match-up for Lake Highlands, but a match-up the Wildcats are equipped to handle.
“They’ve had a good run so far,” Smith said. “They do some things that cause some teams some issues namely with their speed.”
Offensively the Longhorns run a spread offense with four and five wide sets, but quarterback David McKenzie is the heart of the offense. McKenzie has thrown for 429 yards and four touchdowns, and rushed for 435 yards and seven touchdowns.
Just about every time McKenzie drops back, the Wildcats defense will have to think about defending the run while also chasing receivers down the field. Donald Snow and Dre London are also threats on the ground, each rushing for over 140 yards and two touchdowns apiece.
Ason Bruner has nine grabs for 170 yards and a touchdown. Randall Taylor has eight catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns and Snow has six catches for 102 yards a touchdown. So you can pick your poison. Fortunately the Wildcats defensive backs including David Green and Dana Taylor have done more than a serviceable job so far this season and appear to be getting better.
Defensively, the Longhorns are still searching for an identity, but two senior defensive linemen anchor the defense and give them some stability. Defensive tackle No. 74 Bradley Duru and defensive end No. 80 Tanner Chidester have caught the eye of the Wildcats coaching staff during film sessions.
“They are solid linemen who are active up front,” Smith said.
The Longhorns run a multiple 4-3 defense and like to blitz. With Ketchmark having taken on a number of teams who like to get into the face of the quarterback, he should be more comfortable making reads and knowing where his open receivers are.
Homecoming should be a fun event in the stands for all of the Wildcats fans. And down on the field, it should be an exciting game.
