Facing No. 1 West Monroe any year would be quite the monumental task for a season opener.
Facing them at home makes it tougher.
Having to take on a powerhouse program rumored to have the best defense in its illustrious history is like fitting into a closet with an elephant.
This is the gauntlet in front of the Leesville Wampus Cats, as they open the 2010 season here at 7 p.m. Friday in Rebel Stadium.
"The longer I coach, the more I realize that defensive linemen are game changers," LHS head coach David Feaster said. "The difference between some of the West Monroe teams in the past and this year's team is the defensive line. It's better than it's ever been."
That's saying a lot. West Monroe has captured seven Class 5A state championships since 1995, including last season's undefeated state title team which ripped through Leesville, 71-13, in Wampus Cat Stadium. The Wampus Cats won't enter the game unprepared, however. Feaster enters his second season with a little more at his disposal than last year.
"(David) Feaster is an outstanding coach," West Monroe head coach Don Shows said. "He has won wherever he's been and I expect him to win and win big in Leesville as well. They will be a lot more advanced than they were against us last year."
Leesville is in full game mode, which means Feaster is developing a game plan to battle West Monroe's daunting defense. A week ago, the Rebels throttled Class 3A power Rayville, 48-7, in jamboree action. While the offense is guided by big play threat Paul Turner — an LSU commitment — who scored three touchdowns last week, it's the "hog mollies" up front who have Feaster working overtime.
"Personnel-wise, they can show us any defensive scheme they want," Feaster explained. "They have the freedom to play man to man in the secondary or if they want to play zone and rush just three, they can still make it difficult for you to run or pass against them. They get pressure on you from their front four."
The Rebels' defense begins with nose guard Marklyn England (6-1, 275) and defensive ends James McFarland (6-2, 235) and Chucky Hunter (6-0, 305). Hunter is the marquee name of the bunch, having garnered offers from several BCS college programs.
The linebacking corps is loaded with sophomore Dylan Burdeaux (6-1, 205), Terrell Lathan (6-4, 250), Jonathan Tyson (6-1, 245) and junior Deano Casola (5-11, 215). Austin Cain is the leader in the secondary.
Leesville will try to counter that presence with a game plan to utilize the experience of the skill players on offense. Quarterback Zack Squyres played well in his first varsity game a year ago against the Rebels, throwing for 174 yards and a pair of TDs. He'll have senior Levander Liggins and junior Diontay Thurman to lean on heavily on the ground and through the air.
"The key to facing them is to try and keep them off balance," Feaster said. "Perhaps we'll use some traps and screens and keep the ball as long as we can to wear them down."
Leesville is coming off a 24-22 loss to Class 5A No. 14 LaGrange of Lake Charles. In that game, the Cats had an opportunity to win after pulling to within two and recovering an onside kick. However, an interception halted any comeback thoughts. After viewing game film, Feaster has a different view on things.
"I was actually a little upset after watching the film," he said. "LaGrange is a very good team, but we really did not play well in that game. Our problems are not anything we cannot fix. It's more about technique and fundamentals. We had five starters out, so getting those guys healthy will also help us."
The only starter who is ruled out for Friday's game is center Logan Morrison, who suffered an MCL sprain against Captain Shreve two weeks ago in a scrimmage. The Cats expect to have safety Mason Detz, linebacker Thomas Medina, receiver Joe Horlacher and receiver Clint Thurman back in the fold. Dylan Gaskill will once again fill in for Morrison at center.
While Feaster is focusing on the West Monroe defense, their own head coach is focused on the offense — the young line to be exact. West Monroe is having to replace not only the entire starting offensive line, but also several key reserves as well.
"We're doing so many things wrong right now. It's like raising a child. You have to teach them to crawl before they can walk. Our line is crawling right now," Shows said.
Leesville learned last season you cannot focus on West Monroe's main man. Even though Turner is the best player on the team, there are other ways the Rebels can beat you. Running back Tyler Cain returns for his senior year after scoring twice a year ago against the Cats. Fullback Bubba Reeves had a coming out party in Wampus Cat Stadium in 2009, scoring twice in the first quarter.
"Turner is a tremendous athlete with so much ability," Feaster said. "You cannot expect to just put him in a box and try to stop him. Rayville had him stopped a few times and he escaped and scored. What you have to do is be prepared to stop the fullback dive first or they'll just pound you into submission all night.
"Field position is not going to matter in this game," Feaster continued. "We need to score when we have the chance and keep them off the field. Then ... keep turnovers to a minimum."
Leesville enters the game riding a three-game regular-season winning streak. The Cats finished the season last year with wins over Grant, Tioga and Huntington of Shreveport.
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Facing No. 1 West Monroe any year would be quite the monumental task for a season opener.
Facing them at home makes it tougher.
Having to take on a powerhouse program rumored to have the best defense in its illustrious history is like fitting into a closet with an elephant.
This is the gauntlet in front of the Leesville Wampus Cats, as they open the 2010 season here at 7 p.m. Friday in Rebel Stadium.
"The longer I coach, the more I realize that defensive linemen are game changers," LHS head coach David Feaster said. "The difference between some of the West Monroe teams in the past and this year's team is the defensive line. It's better than it's ever been."
That's saying a lot. West Monroe has captured seven Class 5A state championships since 1995, including last season's undefeated state title team which ripped through Leesville, 71-13, in Wampus Cat Stadium. The Wampus Cats won't enter the game unprepared, however. Feaster enters his second season with a little more at his disposal than last year.
"(David) Feaster is an outstanding coach," West Monroe head coach Don Shows said. "He has won wherever he's been and I expect him to win and win big in Leesville as well. They will be a lot more advanced than they were against us last year."
Leesville is in full game mode, which means Feaster is developing a game plan to battle West Monroe's daunting defense. A week ago, the Rebels throttled Class 3A power Rayville, 48-7, in jamboree action. While the offense is guided by big play threat Paul Turner — an LSU commitment — who scored three touchdowns last week, it's the "hog mollies" up front who have Feaster working overtime.
"Personnel-wise, they can show us any defensive scheme they want," Feaster explained. "They have the freedom to play man to man in the secondary or if they want to play zone and rush just three, they can still make it difficult for you to run or pass against them. They get pressure on you from their front four."
The Rebels' defense begins with nose guard Marklyn England (6-1, 275) and defensive ends James McFarland (6-2, 235) and Chucky Hunter (6-0, 305). Hunter is the marquee name of the bunch, having garnered offers from several BCS college programs.
The linebacking corps is loaded with sophomore Dylan Burdeaux (6-1, 205), Terrell Lathan (6-4, 250), Jonathan Tyson (6-1, 245) and junior Deano Casola (5-11, 215). Austin Cain is the leader in the secondary.
Leesville will try to counter that presence with a game plan to utilize the experience of the skill players on offense. Quarterback Zack Squyres played well in his first varsity game a year ago against the Rebels, throwing for 174 yards and a pair of TDs. He'll have senior Levander Liggins and junior Diontay Thurman to lean on heavily on the ground and through the air.
"The key to facing them is to try and keep them off balance," Feaster said. "Perhaps we'll use some traps and screens and keep the ball as long as we can to wear them down."
Leesville is coming off a 24-22 loss to Class 5A No. 14 LaGrange of Lake Charles. In that game, the Cats had an opportunity to win after pulling to within two and recovering an onside kick. However, an interception halted any comeback thoughts. After viewing game film, Feaster has a different view on things.
"I was actually a little upset after watching the film," he said. "LaGrange is a very good team, but we really did not play well in that game. Our problems are not anything we cannot fix. It's more about technique and fundamentals. We had five starters out, so getting those guys healthy will also help us."
The only starter who is ruled out for Friday's game is center Logan Morrison, who suffered an MCL sprain against Captain Shreve two weeks ago in a scrimmage. The Cats expect to have safety Mason Detz, linebacker Thomas Medina, receiver Joe Horlacher and receiver Clint Thurman back in the fold. Dylan Gaskill will once again fill in for Morrison at center.
While Feaster is focusing on the West Monroe defense, their own head coach is focused on the offense — the young line to be exact. West Monroe is having to replace not only the entire starting offensive line, but also several key reserves as well.
"We're doing so many things wrong right now. It's like raising a child. You have to teach them to crawl before they can walk. Our line is crawling right now," Shows said.
Leesville learned last season you cannot focus on West Monroe's main man. Even though Turner is the best player on the team, there are other ways the Rebels can beat you. Running back Tyler Cain returns for his senior year after scoring twice a year ago against the Cats. Fullback Bubba Reeves had a coming out party in Wampus Cat Stadium in 2009, scoring twice in the first quarter.
"Turner is a tremendous athlete with so much ability," Feaster said. "You cannot expect to just put him in a box and try to stop him. Rayville had him stopped a few times and he escaped and scored. What you have to do is be prepared to stop the fullback dive first or they'll just pound you into submission all night.
"Field position is not going to matter in this game," Feaster continued. "We need to score when we have the chance and keep them off the field. Then ... keep turnovers to a minimum."
Leesville enters the game riding a three-game regular-season winning streak. The Cats finished the season last year with wins over Grant, Tioga and Huntington of Shreveport.
JUNIOR VARSITY AND FRESHMEN: The other Wampus Cats jump-started their seasons with success this week. The junior varsity team took care of St. Mary's of Natchitoches by a 27-0 score Tuesday. Monday night, the freshman team blasted the Many junior varsity squad 21-0 in a game shortened by lightning. "We had good defensive performances and completed a lot of passes in both games," Feaster said. "We also had a lot of players involved who are making a case for being promoted to varsity action."
The next action for the freshmen team will come against Bolton High on Sept. 13 on the road, while the JV team will travel to take on Rosepine on Sept. 14.
