by Wes Sparkmon
Coming off a defensive victory over Forrest, Page (3-1, 1-0) returns home for the first time since week 1 to face off against regional opponent Lawrence County in an effort to stay at the top of the Class 4A, Region 4 standings.
Offense Looks to Rebound After Shaky Week 4
Last week, the potent Page offense was held in check by the Forrest Rockets. With the talent that Page has offensively, the chance to break out at any time is high. Michael Magochy has been able to make big plays downfield averaging nearly 200 yards per game with 6 touchdowns. Receivers Connor Morss, Will Pierce, and all-purpose back Michael Roberts have all stepped up in different games and have each surpassed 147 yards receiving on the season. Michael Roberts has been a bruising running back, proving his ability to keep his legs moving and break open big plays. On the season, Roberts has run for 245 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Defense Prepares for Peculiar Offensive Scheme
Leaning on their defense, the Patriots were able to win last week’s low-scoring game with Forrest. Page’s defense has shown the capability to neutralize an opponent’s best player and forcing the remainder of their opposition to beat them. Page has been lead defensively by Michael Roberts, who has averaged over 10 tackles per game from linebacker and safety, and Nick Cramer, who has 35 tackles on the season at middle linebacker. This week, the Wildcats provide a different scheme than the Patriots have seen this season that will put pressure on the Patriots front seven. Lawrence County’s Wing T offense requires defense to keep their assignments with the numerous options out of the backfield.
Page is currently in the driver’s seat in their region after their win two weeks ago over Spring Hill. Lawrence County presents a different challenge than the spread Raiders, but a win over the Wildcats would set the Patriots up for a potential playoff run.
