EVHS to be tested

The Louisa Lions have been a thorn in the Eastern View High School football team’s side ever since it first took the field in 2008.

The Cyclones have never beaten the Lions. Two years ago, Eastern View made the trek to Louisa and came up three points short. Last season, the Lions invaded Cyclone Stadium and left victorious after a last-second field goal.

“We know what a good football team they are,” EVHS head coach Greg Hatfield said. “The number of team’s they’ve humbled in that stadium is astounding, and we’ve reminded our kids of that all week.”

Tonight, the Cyclones not only have to face a Louisa team that made the Region II playoffs a year ago, but they also have to brave “The Jungle” — the Lions’ aptly named stadium which Hatfield said creates what may be the best high school football atmosphere in the country.

“This is one of those games that high school football is all about,” he said. “We know it’s electrifying down there. The first year we went, a lot of our kids had to go over and make sure the Lion’s cage was locked before the game.”

A live Lion watching the action from just beyond the sidelines is but one of the distractions the Cyclones (1-0) will have to overcome. There will also be a ceramic lion that breathes fire after touchdowns, and enough pyrotechnics to make July 4th jealous.

“It has really taken on a life of its own,” Louisa head coach Mark Fischer said. “The community, the school and everybody has bought into Louisa football. We’re almost to the point where they roll up the sidewalks and shut down the town on game night.”

The Cyclones will also have to battle a team on a mission, as the Lions have dedicated the season to teammate Josh Campi, who was diagnosed with leukemia on the final day of training camp. Louisa players will wear Campi’s number, 63, on their helmets all season.

“A lot of people talk about family, but we practice it here,” Fischer said. “We talk about him (Campi) every day in practice, and we don’t allow any self pity if we’re hot and tired because we know he’s going through things that are 100 times worse.”

Eastern View rolls into Louisa for the Lions’ season opener riding high after last Friday’s 40-point victory over cross-town rival Culpeper. But the Cyclones will face an offense tonight that’s potent enough to even rival their own.

Back from last year’s Louisa squad that fell 12-6 to Liberty (Bealeton) in the opening round of the playoffs are talented running backs Rashawn Jackson, Anthony Hunter and Andre Mealy.

The Cyclones should expect a heavy dose of all three in Fischer’s multiple-set offense.

“I think we have to win first down,” Hatfield said. “We have to make them earn their yardage, and we can’t give up big plays. They’re too good to say we’re not going to give up any first downs, but defensively we just have to bend not break.”

The Lions also return speedy quarterback Kire Worley, who can burn teams with his legs and has two new receiving targets in 6-foot-4-inch freshman Raheem Johnson and junior Lorenzo Henson — a standout on Louisa’s junior varsity team a year ago.

“We hang our hats on the running game, but we’re not afraid to throw it,” Fischer said.

Jackson, Hunter and Mealy also form one of the Jefferson District’s most physical linebacker tandems, but Fischer knows they’re going to have their hands full with the Cyclones’ daunting spread offense.

“Any time a high school team puts the caliber of athletes on the field that Eastern View does, it’s a nightmare,” Fischer said. “Most coaches would be tickled to death to have one or two of those guys. They have four — and that’s just counting the receivers.”

Quarterback Simon Pendleton did connect with wide receiver Drayton Shanks on two touchdown tosses against Culpeper, but for the most part, the Cyclones’ passing game was rather quiet last week.

The running game was a different story, though, as running back Alquon Newman racked up 78 yards and three touchdowns and Jeremiah Yates created a nice change of pace.

The Cyclones are looking for more of the same from the running game tonight.

“You can’t go in and plan on hitting 80-yard pass plays against a team like Louisa,” Hatfield said. “They’re going to get to your quarterback if you do that. We just have to keep them honest and keep ourselves out of third-and-long situations.”

With how unstoppable Eastern View’s offense looked a week ago and how much hype Louisa has received without even playing a game in 2010, tonight’s clash has game-of-the-year potential.

But the Lions have stopped the Cyclones in their tracks two years in a row, and Fischer isn’t shy about sharing his secret for making it three straight.

“Coach (Hatfield) hasn’t figured it out yet,” he said with a chuckle. “We just sneak 15 guys onto the field on defense.”