Looking for two in a row

Lincoln Prep hopes its home field doesn’t become a hornet’s nest on Thursday, as the Panthers ( 1- 1) host a rolling Arcadia ( 2- 0) squad.

The Hornets, who rank No. 6 in the Division IV Non- select power ratings, have looked strong in the early goings of the season, averaging 29 points per game and giving up just 18 through two wins over Lakeside and Delhi.

Panthers head coach Glen Hall knows his group will be in for another test this week and expects the matchup to come down to who executes assignments the strongest.

“It’s going to be big for us and we’re got to play well against them to win,” Hall said. “Arcadia is really good and has a strong front line and they’re pretty athletic and long. They’ve got some good athletes.”

The Hornets went 9-4 overall and lost in the Division IV Non-select quarterfinals last year, shutting out five opponents along the way, including Lincoln Prep in a 44-0 win.

But the Panthers are coming off a confident win of their own after shutting out Plain Dealing 44-0 last week for their first victory of the season, with Jaylin Huntley and the run game having a big night with explosive plays. Huntley, a sophomore, rushed for a 60yard score while teammates D’Tavion Wright and LaMarion Burton scored on 34-yard and 52- yard touchdowns, respectively.

“If we concentrate on our running game and shorten the clocks and play good defense, in the end, we’ll be right in the game,” Hall said. “That’s how we have to play, so it’s on them to understand that.”

Arcadia will run the option and the dive on offense, not opting to throw the ball downfield much, according to Hall’s scouting. With a knowledge of how to contain the dive and limit the Hornets from churning out first downs, Hall has preached to his team the importance of wrapping up and bringing pressure.

“They’ve got an athletic running back and a sneaky fullback and they like to push people up front with their size on the line,” Hall said. “ But I’m going to try and stop it from happening with some pinches and some outside pressure to stop the dive. If we stop the dive, we’ll be in pretty good shape.”

Expect a similar ground-and-pound style of offense when the Panthers have the ball, a style of play Hall said he’ll continue to lean on as the season plays out.

“We’re going to keep running the ball and let them bring their outside pressure and we’ll run up the middle and then have the quarterback pull it out and get around the edge,” Hall said. “I think we’ll be ready for them. I think we match up pretty well. They’re an older team than us but I think we match up well.”

Lincoln Prep ( 1-1) hosts Arcadia (2-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Panther Stadium in Grambling.