PILOT POINT BEARCATS
The 5-2 Pilot Point Bearcats varsity football team returns home to Massey Stadium after a tough road loss in Week 8 to face the 7-0 Dallas Life Oak Cliff Lions on Friday.
The Lions will step onto the field turf at G.A. Moore Field with an unblemished record, with their most recent wins coming against Whitesboro, 55-48, in Week 7 and Dallas A+ Academy, 44-6, in Week 8.
“They’re super talented, and they’re really explosive and scoring a lot of points,” said Chad Worrell, Pilot Point athletic director and head football coach. “We’ve played them the last two years, and we’re definitely familiar with them, but a lot of those kids were starting as freshmen or sophomores, and they’re all a year older, so we have our work cut out for us to try to hold them. We’re going to score some points because they are going to have some big plays.”
Life Oak Cliff has averaged 60 points per game this season, with quarterback Camren Phillips operating as the head of the Lions’ offense, leading the team in through the air and on the ground with over 2,500 yards of total offense and 41 touchdowns.
The Lions’ razor-sharp offensive attack also features running back Jatavion Smith-Adams and wide receivers Joshua Washington and Dankiea Lander, with the trio accounting for almost 1,400 yards of offense and 20 touchdowns.
“We’re going to have to mix up our coverages and challenge every throw and contain their quarterback,” Worrell said. “If you drop everybody back in coverage, [Phillips] will take off and run. He’s a dualthreat quarterback and a lot of his yards come from scrambles, so we have to work all week on being disciplined and being able to stop him when he tries to escape the pocket.”
Defensively, outside linebacker/defensive end Cameron Beaty is the Lions’ top tackler, with 50 total tackles, while Loyace Grayes leads the secondary with 2 interceptions.
After being held to their lowest offensive output in last week’s loss, Worrell said that this week’s preparation process will be key for the Bearcats' chances of success this week against a Lions’ defense that allowed almost 700 yards of offense and 7 touchdowns to Whitesboro in Week 7.
“We have to get back on track with a great week of practice, know our assignments and execute,” he said.
The Bearcats and Lions are set to square off at 7 p.m. Friday at Massey Stadium in Pilot Point.
