Football: The Week Ahead

SMAC Football Preview — Week 9

Game of the Week
Lackey (5-3, 4-2) at Westlake (7-1, 5-1)
Friday, 7 p.m.

When these county rivals hook up on Friday night, as usual more will be on the line than bragging rights.

A year ago, it was Lackey upending a seemingly unstoppable Westlake train in the regular-season matchup. Three weeks later the Chargers pulled it off again in the 3A South final, denying the Wolverines a regional championship and a shot in the 3A semifinals. This year, Lackey needs this game if it is to reach the postseason. With Penn State commits Darrell Givens and Malcolm Willis heading up one of the top secondaries around, the Chargers opened the season as a preseason favorite in the SMAC. But now with three losses — two of which came by a combined four points — there is no more wiggle room.

Westlake could effectively return the favor from last year by defeating the Chargers. The Wolverines are coming off of a 42-33 win at Chopticon in a game that featured a tremendous special-teams effort and more highlight-reel footage from Devon Smith. Smith, another Penn State recruit, leads the conference with 20 touchdowns through eight weeks. Westlake is battling for a top-two seed in the 3A South playoff field, and a win over Lackey would go a long way towards achieving that and earning the Wolverines a first-round game at home.

Other games to watch
Northern (3-5, 1-5) at Huntingtown (7-1, 5-1), Friday at 7 p.m.
Huntingtown has cruised through the season, largely on the strength of its multi-faceted offensive attack, and is very possibly two wins away from securing home-field throughout the 3A South playoffs. But with county-rival Northern traveling down from just up Route 4, this game could be more than what the records would indicate. The Patriots could still climb back to finish at .500 with two more wins.

McDonough (4-4, 4-2) at La Plata (3-5, 2-4), Friday at 7 p.m.
After a tough first half to the season, McDonough has won three straight games. The Rams overcame a 15-3 deficit last week against Northern, and could have produced their most complete game of the year in the 33-15 win. A win this week would ensure that the young Rams finish at the .500 mark, at the very least.
True to last year’s form, La Plata has hung with most teams its played all season long. Last week the Warriors pushed Huntingtown for a half before the Hurricanes pulled away down the stretch.

Other games
Chopticon (5-3, 3-3) at Great Mills (0-8, 0-6), Friday at 7 p.m.
North Point (7-1, 6-0) at Thomas Stone (1-7, 0-6), Friday at 7 p.m.
Patuxent (6-2, 5-1) at Calvert (2-6, 2-5), Friday at 7 p.m.
Landon School (7-1) at Leonardtown (2-6, 2-5), Friday at 7 p.m.