Lake Highlands (5-2, 4-0) at Jesuit (4-3, 3-1), at Jesuit Stadium, at 7:30 p.m.
Last week, two teams as familiar with each other as family squared off in an intense nail-biter. This week, Lake Highlands faces an old District 10-5A foe, in Jesuit, that they have not seen since a 35-10 win in 2005.
The Rangers stand out in a number of offensive areas. Jesuit averages 36 points per game, 454 yards per game, 308 yards in the air and 145 yards on the ground.
Jesuit quarterback Mike Savage has thrown for 1,956 yards and 17 touchdowns, with a 64.78 completion percentage. Savage ranks No. 5 in the area in touchdowns, No. 3 in passing yards and No. 2 in completions.
Savage also leads the team in rushing attempts, and is second on the team in rushing yards with 262 and three rushing touchdowns.
So, much like Berkner with quarterback Arick Stock, the Rangers offense runs through its quarterback.
When Savage drops back he has two targets he has hit 97 times collectively. Jake Oliver has 51 catches for 779 yards and six touchdowns and Brian Wetzel has 46 grabs for 601 yards and eight touchdowns.
Blake Vierling and Christian Franz both have at least 200 yards receiving and 20 receptions to boot.
Franz is one of the Rangers running backs with at least 40 carries averaging over seven yards per carry. David Kaplan also has 40 touches for 200 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
While the Rangers have been offensively proficient, they have also given up 35 points per game. Opposing offenses rush for an average of 158 ypg, which ranks 18th in the area in rush defense.
Where the Wildcats can do most of its damage is in the passing game where the Rangers have been slashed for 327 ypg.
“They have two great safeties,” Scott Smith, Lake Highlands head coach said. “They aren’t really big up front. But what they do, they do well and that’s being quick and knowing exactly where to be to stop your offense.”
While Wildcats quarterback Michael Ketchmark has not thrown for over 900 yards yet, he has been extremely efficient with a 64-percent completion percentage. Ketchmark has been able to find DeVonte Sunwenghan open deep and receivers Zach Fleig, Deondre Glover, Michael Wright and Anthony Harris open on short screens and slants enough times to keep opposing defenses on their heels.
That in turn opens things up for Desmond Roland who has rushed 133 times for 1,208 yards and 21 touchdowns. Roland’s 21 touchdowns is second in the area.
Defensively the Wildcats have been able to make adjustments to keep opposing offenses from doing what they like to do.
On paper, this should be a high scoring game. But with an undefeated record on the line for Lake Highlands and a chance to tie push the Wildcats into a tie for second place on the line for Jesuit, these two teams could play it close to the vest.
Either way, at Haggar Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Friday, this will be a match-up worth being part of.
