Lambert vs. Etowah Pregame Preview

--By Chas Arnold on --

Longhorn Nation will be enthused, energized and motivated this Friday night as Lambert takes to the road for its opening game in the 2012 gridiron season against Etowah in Woodstock. The Longhorns have successfully completed its pre-season practice regimen, which included early season workouts, a football camp in Tennessee and an exhibition game against Lanier. Now its time to lace up the cleats for keeps as Lambert enters uncharted territory in the newly formed AAAAAA classification.

Although Friday night’s encounter will be a non-Region game, Etowah poses a serious threat to Lambert and its desire to begin the season on a winning note. “Etowah is a team that’s had recent success with several Region championships and play-off appearances,” noted Longhorns head man, Sid Maxwell. “They’ve been playing in the largest classification in Georgia for many years and will be a great test for us as we move into the AAAAAA classification.”

The home standing Eagles, however, will be adjusting to a new coach, a new staff and a new system, all of which add unproven intangibles to its own designs on victory. Just as in previous seasons, though, Etowah will feature a team of power and strength. “Offensively they rely on a power running game,” explained Maxwell. “They feature a big offensive line and a backfield of talented players.” In fact, when asked to describe the Etowah personnel Maxwell retorted with such adjectives as “big, physical and talented.” In short, Lambert must be ready to play.

“The game will most likely come down to execution and turnovers,” commented Maxwell. “If we can sustain drives on offense and contain them on defense, it should be close towards the end of the game.” Of course, that could be a turning point moment for Lambert and its two coordinators, Louis Daniel (offense) and Travis Mozingo (defense), who each provide much talent of their own in the cerebral elements of the game. “It should be a good match-up from an X’s and O’s standpoint,” acknowledged Maxwell.

Lambert stands ready to play and is poised for its first contest of the campaign. “We’ve had a solid couple of weeks of preparation since our return from team camp,” responded Maxwell. “The Lanier scrimmage gave the coaching staff a chance to see a variety of players at a variety of positions. At this point the staff and the team are ready to get the season underway and the test that Etowah gives us should be a great indicator of how the season will shape up.”