Preview: DeRidder Dragons vs. Lakeshore
The DeRidder Dragons will head out on the road to face off against Lakeshore at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
DeRidder can now show off five landslide victories after their most recent game on Friday. They breezed by Washington-Marion on the road to the tune of 49-14. Given DeRidder's advantage in MaxPreps' Louisiana football rankings (they are ranked 107th, while Washington-Marion is ranked 244th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
DeRidder got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Connor Rushford out in front who rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. Another player making a difference was Reed Williams, who rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries.
Another reason for the win was DeRidder's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. In that department, Heydin Stephens was the leader with two sacks.
Meanwhile, Lakeshore entered their tilt with Franklinton with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. Lakeshore had just enough and edged Franklinton out 31-28.
Oudrey Gros was the offensive standout of the game as he rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Gros is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last four games he's played.
The win makes it two in a row for DeRidder and bumps their season record up to 6-4. As for Lakeshore, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. DeRidder has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 283.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lakeshore struggles in that department as they've been averaging 232.2 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
Everything came up roses for DeRidder against Lakeshore in their previous matchup back in November of 2020 as the team secured a 27-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for DeRidder since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
