The #2 Sidney Lanier Poets face the #5 Cross Parking Thunderbirds in a huge Class 6A, Region 2 game in the Bowl Friday night. Both teams come into the game undefeated in the region and the winner will come out region champions. Last season, Park Crossing won 13-10 with two 50-yard field goals by Park Crossing that became the difference in the game.
Sidney Lanier (7-0, 4-0) knows they lost a tough game last year and is looking forward to another chance. "We are really looking forward to the challenge coming off the loss to them last season," said Poets Head coach Marvin Cunningham. "Park Crossing is a great team, well coached and they do things the right way. We are looking forward to the challenge. This game is a measurement for our team. We feel like these are two of the best teams in Montgomery and in the state.
The last time Lanier won a region/area championship was in 1978 along with Park Crossing owning a 3-0 series record between the two teams. "Last year, we didn't feel like we played particularly well," said Thunderbirds Head coach Smitty Grider. "So what ever happens Friday night, we want to play our best game.
Lanier comes into the game with one of the best offenses in Class 6A. The Poets are averaging 36.4 points per game and have one of the best quarterbacks in the state. James Foster leads the Poets offense. The Missouri commit likes to throw the football down the field even he is pressured out of the pocket . He is still dangerous to an opposing defense when on the scramble. "James is so grounded and is an outstanding kid, he is so coachable," added Cunningham. "He has put in so much hard work were not surprised he is having a great season."
The receiving core can score on a short pass or go deep for a long one. Rodriques Ellington, Delancey Tolliver, Noah Hart, Da'Coreyon Johnson and then sprinkle in cornerback Adjante Oliver and that brings major concerns for the opposing secondary.
At running back, Jacory Merritt is carring the load for the ground game. "Our running game is getting better each week, the guys upfront are doing a good job," said Cunningham. "Jacory is a undersized kid that is mentally and physically tough for a junior. He is a speed back that likes to bounce which is good for the zone read. We look to get him to the second level and let him run."
One of the Poets most versatile players is offense guard/defensive lineman Malcolm Davis. "We train a lot of our players to go both ways," said Cunningham. "Right now, we are in a pretty good situation where we don't have to do that at this time, but that could change. Our guys will be ready if they have to play 100 snaps."
The Poets defense only gives up 8.1 points per game and has played well all season. La'Dedric Jackson is the quarterback on the defense. The one key guy that makes sure the defense is in the right spots. Jackson can hunt down a ball carrier from sideline to sideline and is the glue to the defense. Glenn Adams is another player the Poets rely on to get the job done on the defensive side of the ball.
Oliver has stepped up to one of the vocal leaders on the defense. He is a shutdown corner that has moved to safety late in the season. "He is been a great leader for the young guys," added Cunningham. "He is the skill of the bunch. We can mix defense coverage up since he is so skilled. Teams just don't throw his ways. He pays great attention to the details. He is an amazing player." Don't be surprised to see Oliver on the offensive side of the ball that could bring a matchup problem due to he is such a great athlete and competitive player.
Park Crossing (7-1, 5-0) comes into the game averaging 44.0 per game and has Cam Taylor to run the Thunderbirds offense. For the season, Taylor has completed 68-of-112 passes for 1,213 yards with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. Also, he has 744 yards on 86 carries for a 8.7 yards per carry average with 11 touchdowns. That is almost 2,000 total yards on the season with 22 touchdowns. Wow! "Cam has so many ways that he can beat you," added Grider. "He is such a great runner and you better honor that because he runs the ball so well. Sometimes is opens things up in the passing game. We don't throw it often but he has such a strong arm and he is very effective when we do throw."
At receiver Doron Mitchell is back from an injury and is playing very well. Mitchell has 17 receptions for 370 yards with four touchdowns. Tremaine Osborne has 13 catches for 141 yards with four touchdowns. Greg McConico has 12 receptions for 326 yards with two touchdowns. McConico has a 27.2 yards per catch average. He can break one pass play long at anytime.
The offensive line has Tank Jenkins. He is the leader on the offensive line. Throw in the jumbo package of Jia Langford, Joshua Fannin and Romello Tarver at the goal line and the Thunderbirds are pretty successful on short yardage plays. Running back Uziah McDaniels has 1,202 yards on 154 carries for a 7.8 yards per carry average with 12 touchdowns. Park Crossing has one of the best offensive lines in Class 6A.
The Park Crossing defense is giving up only 15.0 points per game. Safeties Lamont Mitchell and Jaiquan Johnson are two of the best. "Lamont is a very good all around football player that plays with great instinct, he will make big plays out of no where," added Gridder. "Jaiquan is a technician that is always in the right place. They really complement each other."
The Thunderbird secondary will get tested is a big way against Foster and the Poets offense. "With their passing game our secondary has to play extremely well," said Grider. "They do a great job of creating plays when a play breaks down. Foster does a great job of connecting with his receivers when he starts to scramble in the backfield."
