The Lions played their scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 20. The team was able to run over 100 plays during the match. Head coach Ron Roberts is optimistic about the upcoming season and is proud of the team for the work they did in helping those who needed volunteer relief work after the flood.
The Lion's Roar/Jonathan Rhodes
Lions football played their second scrimmage of the preseason on Friday, Aug. 19. The Lions ran exactly 100 plays during the scrimmage as the offense went head-to-head with the defense. The team returned to practice on Sunday at 7 p.m.
The Lions also hosted media day inside the Victory Club this past Saturday. Media members got a chance to interview Head Coach Ron Roberts and several players about the scrimmage, their first game and their expectations of the season.
This was the Lions’ second scrimmage of the preseason; their first was Saturday, Aug. 13. Coach Ron Roberts saw much improvement in this scrimmage from the first one.
“Up to now we have had a good camp,” said Roberts. “We continually got better between scrimmage one and scrimmage two. Which I hope forces a massive increase in our lineup assignment, guys knowing their job there was not much straight mental bust. I thought it was a lot cleaner scrimmage than the one last week.”
Despite the progress that has been made in the scrimmage, Roberts still believes the team has more work to do to be ready for their first game in two weeks against Oklahoma State.
“We are not where we need to be,” said Roberts. “We are still two weeks out. It is not very far off. We get out there and you got ten guys doing it right and one guy makes a mistake and does not do his job and he has got to be able to clean up his consistency factor. We have been preaching that from the get go about doing your job and the guys who have bought into that are ready to go.”
The offense was much better in this scrimmage in comparison to their first scrimmage with senior quarterback D’Shaie Landor throwing four touchdowns. The first was thrown to sophomore running back Julius Maracalin on the second drive of the scrimmage. After a few drives ended in field goals, sophomore quarterback Donovan Isom rushed into the endzone for a four yard touchdown. On the next drive Landor threw a fade to junior wide receiver Juwan Dickey for a 25-yard touchdown. On the third touchdown Ladnor was on the run before he found sophomore wide receiver Jake Ingraffia for a 28-yard touchdown. And his final touchdown was thrown for 40 yards to senior wide receiver Brandon Acker.
Multiple 50-yard field goals were made by Lion kickers sophomore Jonathan Tatum and junior Dillon Burkhard. The defense achieved eight sacks, eleven tackles for a loss and one interception by sophomore defensive back Dejion Lynch.
“I think the scrimmage went pretty well,” said senior linebacker Tre’ Bennett. “It was fun, everybody just flying around trying to make plays or trying give each other a good look.”
Roberts emphasized that players should do their jobs and play together as a team.
“It is an unselfish game and that is what young guys have to realize,” said Roberts. “Do not do someone else’s job when you are already not doing yours. The great defenses I have been around have understood that. We are still in the process of learning that, but I think we are real close to learning that.”
It will be a long process, but Roberts believes that this team can win the Southland Conference Tournament this year.
“We have a long road for that,” said Roberts. “I said multiple times I think we got all the tools in place. If you are going to win the championship it depends on what you do between now and November. Are we going to continue to get better on a weekly basis? If we don’t then we don’t have a shot.”
The recent flooding in parts of southern Louisiana prompted the team to go out and help those in the affected area. Roberts thinks the players did well on dealing with the flooding and keeping their mind on the upcoming season.
“I think our guys have done a pretty good job with that,” said Roberts. “I think it was great for our players to volunteer. I don’t think our guys had any problems stepping forward and trying to help our community. I wish we could have done more. I really do.”
Some players and coaches either lived in the affected areas or had family members that lived there as well.
“We had a lot guys inside our own family that was affected by the flood,” said Roberts. “Their families lost houses in the flooding just like the rest of Louisiana. A huge portion of our operation were affected. I am really proud of our kids stepping up like that. It really helps them to be grateful for where they are at being able to get an education and play football. It was just as much a help to us as it was to those people.”
Despite the season starting in just a couple of weeks the players had made it their responsibility to help their community.
“We have been really into it,” said Bennett. “We have been doing community service and taking time out of our day to help them with cleaning out their houses and everything. So we have been pretty involved in that.”
The Lions first game this season will be against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK on Sept. 3 at 2:30 p.m. Coach Roberts likes starting the season against a non-conference opponent.
“I rather not open with conference play,” said Roberts. “I like the idea of us getting two games and getting some kinks out and find out who can play. We are going to try to play a lot of guys and try to evaluate them. Who can make plays for us and step up to do their job and elevate their level of play? So, when we get to conference play we know who our guys are. So I would much rather play two preseason games before we get into conference ball.”
The players are excited to get to play on a national level and see what they are really made of against top competition.
“This is what I have been waiting on since the spring,” said Maracalin. “For us to go out there and compete with them and possibly pull out a win.”
To see the full schedule for Lions football visit lionsports.net.
Lions football played their second scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 19 before the start of the season. Their first scrimmage was on Saturday, Aug. 13. They are preparing for their first game against Oklahoma State on Sep. 3.
The Lion's Roar/Jonathan Rhodes
Lions football played their second scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 19 before the start of the season. Their first scrimmage was on Saturday, Aug. 13. They are preparing for their first game against Oklahoma State on Sep. 3.
The Lion's Roar/Jonathan Rhodes
Lions football played their second scrimmage on Friday, Aug. 19 before the start of the season. Their first scrimmage was on Saturday, Aug. 13. They are preparing for their first game against Oklahoma State on Sep. 3.
The Lion's Roar/Jonathan Rhodes
After the 10 a.m. football scrimmage, Head coach Ron Roberts answered questions at Media Day.
Practices for the Lions will continue at 7 p.m. and are open to Touchdown Club members only.
The Lion's Roar/Jonathan Rhodes