LINCOLN vs OCALA FOREST - PREVIEW

TALLAHASSEE LINCOLN TROJANS

vs

OCALA FOREST WILDCATS

The Ocala Forest Wildcats come into Tallahassee with nothing to lose. No one expects them to beat Lincoln. No one expects them to be Class 7A District 1 Champions. No one except, of course, themselves. Forest has quietly put together a solid season. Senior RB Mark Herndon is one of the most underrated players at his position in the state. Herndon has rushed for 1189 yards and 17 TDs this season, his physical size maybe an issue for some Colleges, but the size of his heart won't be. Sophomore QB Jake Roddenberry is the signal caller for the Wildcats, while the defense is led by three of the area's top players Safety Jordon Austin (who leads Marion County in tackles and interceptions), DE Tyler Grow, and LB Michael Hobbs. If the Wildcats are going to win this game, they must be disciplined on defense and not allow the Lincoln offense to get in to a rhythm, they also must control and protect the football on offense.

The Tallahassee Lincoln Trojans are coming off of a badly needed bye week. A few key Lincoln players have been nicked up, so the off week has allowed them to rest and recover. The last five games the Trojan offense has been unstoppable while scoring 62, 52, 48, 54, and 55 points. Senior RB D.J. Abnar has been running wild amassing 475 yards and 9 TDs the last two games, despite sitting out the entire second half due to the score in one of the contests. The Trojans have their eyes set on returning to Orlando in December, but the first and most important step is winning the district. For Lincoln it is also Homecoming, which adds to the excitment of the game. In order for Lincoln to win, they can not afford to look ahead. They can't look ahead to Orlando. They can't look ahead at First Coast (a likely playoff opponent). They can't look ahead at undefeated cross town rival Godby next week. The focus has to be on the now, and Head Coach Yusuf Shakir will likely have the Trojans on the right page.