Now that Week 1 has come and gone, the high school football season inches closer to the games that really count—district play . Week 2’s Game of the Week features two of the premier 4A schools from the area in Frisco Centennial and Lake Dallas. The Titans and the Falcons feature multi-faceted offenses that can pick apart defenses in the air and on the ground. Let’s take a look at how each team faired last week, and what they will have to do improve to 2-0 this week.
Lake Dallas Week 1: Won, 44-37
Lake Dallas can put points on the board; one of their problems is keeping the opposition from doing the same. This is due to a rather young and inexperienced defense that is still trying to find its identity after losing several key players. However, this Falcons squad is fearless and will have no problems bringing their “A” game on the road.
Last week against Richardson Pearce, the Falcons were trailing at halftime 20-23, but their relentless offense wore out the Mustangs as their 14-point fourth quarter proved to both the coffin nail and the exclamation point that sealed the victory.
QB Dagan Haehn tossed for 243 yards with 4 TDs and an interception. Haehn also added six points on the ground. He has a strong arm, but managed just a 56% completion rate; thus he has a tendency to be wild—especially when presented with pressure in the pocket.
Josh Jackson is a key difference maker for the Falcons. Last week he caught all four touchdowns thrown by Haehn and tallied 212 yards on just nine receptions for a 23.6 yards per catch average.
The Falcons running game is anchored by Courtenay Holder and Tony Green; they are both solid runners with top-notch speed, but an inexperienced offensive line prevents them from becoming elite.
To stop the Falcons, Haehn must be under pressure consistently, and Jackson needs to be double-teamed.
Frisco Centennial Week 1: Won, 45-27
An old adage states that in a fight, the first person to land a punch tends to win the bout. That being said, the Titans landed a wicked haymaker directly on Denison’s nose last week, putting up 17 points in the first quarter.
The Titans won with their customary balanced attack, netting 405 total yards of offense. QB Kelly Cordova is not unlike Lake Dallas’ Dagan Haehn in terms of offensive style. He is an option QB but truly excels when in the pocket. Last week, Cordova was inaccurate; completing just 13 of 29 attempts (44%).
Cordova is a solid weapon, but what sets Centennial apart is their blistering ground game. The tandem of Tapiwa Mudehwe and Kamari Burnett combined for four touchdowns and over 200 yards rushing last week. Look for their success to continue against the rather porous Lake Dallas defense.
If the Titans can establish a tight passing game and let Mudehwe and Burnett do their thing, they should be able to score enough to beat Lake Dallas. This game has the potential to be a high-scoring affair, as it might boil down to which team’s defense tires first.
Be sure to check back right here as Lifestyle Frisco will bring you all of the hard-hitting action in the Week 2 review this Monday!
