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JUNIOR PIRATES NOTES- MARSHALL GAME!

CUMBERLAND PIRATES
2008 SEASON SCHEDULE

Fri 09/05/2008 at LAWRENCEVILLE

Fri 09/12/2008 vs. Marshall

Fri 09/19/2008 at CASEY-WESTFIELD

Fri 09/26/2008 at Palestine-Hutsonville

Fri 10/03/2008 vs. Flora

Sat 10/11/2008 at Albion Edwards County (1:00 P.M.)

Fri 10/17/2008 vs. MARTINSVILLE

Fri 10/24/2008 at Oblong

2008 L.I.C. Conference Schedule & Scores

Indians, Pirates find selves in same boat
LAWRENCEVILLE - Two weeks into the season, Lawrenceville High School's football team finds itself in the same boat with this week's opponent, the Cumberland Pirates.

Both teams struggled, especially offensively, while losing their openers a week ago - Lawrenceville to Flora, 26-7, and Cumberland to Red Hill, 20-6. And with both squads harboring playoff hopes, Friday's game is therefore crucial.

"It was a tough loss last week," said LHS coach Andy Albrecht, whose team scored on its first possession last week, but failed on its final 10. "We're looking to bounce back and we hope to get a win. But it'll be a hard-fought battle. Cumberland's on the upswing, after making the playoffs last year."

Unlike the Indians, Cumberland didn't score until its final possession in the loss to the Salukis.

"We felt like we knew what our weakness was, and that was our youth," veteran Pirates' coach Todd Butler said. "We play a couple of freshmen, and we could play up to eight sophomores at any time. We hoped the younger kids would play like upper classmen, but they didn't do that against Red Hill."

The Indians totaled just 146 yards in offense against the Wolves, and just 28 on the ground, on 21 carries. Cumberland fared little better, as it picked up only 185 yards, split nearly evenly via running (94) and passing (91).

Fixing the offense is top priority this week for the Indians.

"We had some missed blocking assignments, and we worked hard on that Monday. Today is another offensive day," Albrecht said Wednesday. "We hope to execute some of those blocks better and we've got to do a better job of securing the ball in the backfield."

Butler was impressed with the Indians, after watching film of the Flora game.

"They certainly look to be improved," he said. "They're athletic, and it looks like they're running their system well. I think they understand the concepts of the new coach, both offensively and defensively. He's got them doing what he wants them to do."

Game notes: The Lawrenceville Indian Spirit committee is sponsoring a tailgate party, starting at 5:30 p.m. near the football field ... The Indians are on a 13-game losing streak, dating to a 21-16 win over visiting Edwards County on Sept. 29, 2006 ... The good news for the Indians is that senior Nathen Shoulders will return from a one-game suspension for violating the school's athletic code. The bad news is that another lineman, two-way starting junior Nick Potts, sustained a knee injury against Flora and will likely not play. Senior Aubrey Seed will take Potts' spot in the defensive line, while freshman Zach Benson will take over his tackle spot in the offensive line. Two other projected starting linemen, senior Quaid Tresise and sophomore Justin Melton, are expected to miss the game with shoulder injuries ... Butler, a Cumberland graduate and the principal at the elementary school, is 35-42 in his ninth season at Pirates' helm ... Cumberland has a 5-2 edge in the all-time series with the Indians. In 2002, LHS blanked the Pirates, 27-0, and they posted a 12-6 win in 2004. Cumberland's wins have been in 2001 (19-0), 2003 (28-6), 2005 (21-7), 2006 (16-0) and last season, 34-0.