Preview: Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East Tigers vs. Lancaster Legends
Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Lancaster Legends at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
With a playoff game on the line, Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East rose to the challenge on Friday. They claimed a resounding 62-22 victory over Orchard Park at home. Given Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East's advantage in MaxPreps' New York football rankings (they are ranked sixth, while Orchard Park is ranked 89th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Ja?Meer Thomas got back to being his usual excellent self, as he rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. Thomas was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 54 yards. Noah McDuffie also helped out as he racked up 101 rushing yards.
Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB five times. Orchard Park's QB won't forget Jazier Fluker anytime soon given Fluker sacked him three times.
Meanwhile, Lancaster came tearing into Friday's matchup with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 26.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Jamestown 36-7 at home. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as Lancaster just coasted through the last quarter.
Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-0. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 50.0 points per game. As for Lancaster, their win bumped their record up to 9-1.
Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East took their win against Lancaster in their previous meeting back in September by a conclusive 44-20. The rematch might be a little tougher for Lewis J. Bennett/Olmsted/Middle Early College/East since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
