Yes, it’s a rivalry game, but for two first year coaches it’s all about seeing it as just another game.
That will be the case as Southeast Lauderdale heads up to face county rival Northeast Lauderdale on Friday night in a non-region contest and the 60th all-time meeting between the Tigers and Trojans. Northeast Lauderdale holds a 32-27 edge in the series and has won six out of the last seven meetings. Last time Southeast Lauderdale won in the series was in 2020.
“I’m not from here or this area, so we’re just preaching being 1-0 every week and staying within ourselves,” said Southeast coach Linc Luker. “The main thing I want to see is the kids playing as hard as we can for all 48 minutes. That’s the big thing for us.”
The Tigers (1-1) are coming off a come from behind 21-20 win over Richland on the road last week in a game where they trailed 20-0 early in the second quarter and 20-7 at halftime.
Southeast Lauderdale will on quarterback Jaden Harbin, receivers Kam Johnson and Mario Leflore along with running backs Je’lun Ivy and Ty Ruffin to lead the offense.
“I was super proud of the kids because it got out of hand in a hurry last week, but they responded and kept fighting and found a way to win,” Luker said. “This week on offense we’ve got to keep building on what we did last week and take care of the ball and not have any turnovers. Northeast as a lot of athletes and we got to cover well and tackle well on defense.”
For Northeast Lauderdale it’s all about responding from last week as the Trojans lost 42-7 to MAIS Class 4A powerhouse Tri-County Academy in a game where Northeast had just 59 yards of total offense.
Quarterback Jase Jimison will lead the offense for the Trojans (1-1), while linebacker Maddox Daughtery will anchor the defense.
“We have to block, tackle, and take care of the ball. We have to eliminate turnovers and create turnovers to give our offense extra opportunities to score,” said Northeast coach Kevin Gandy. “Offensively our offense line has to play better than they did last week. QB Jase Jimison has to have a big game. He is the catalyst to our offense. We have to excel in all the phases of the game. Our specials team is a hidden jewel for us. We have to make smart decisions on offense and eliminate the big plays on defense.”
Other games
Clarkdale (0-2) at Forest (2-0)
Meridian (1-1) at Starkville (2-0)
West Lauderdale (1-1) at Neshoba Central (0-2)
C.H.E.F (La.) (1-3) at Lamar School (1-2).