Vandals hoping to get back into the win column facing winless Paris North Lamar Friday, Oct. 31
DAVID BARBER
After a disappointing loss at Pittsburg Oct. 23, the Van Vandals are hoping to bounce back into the win column when they take on the winless Paris North Lamar Panthers in a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday, Oct. 31, in Paris.
Coach Jared Moffatt’s Vandals are 5-3 overall and 2-1 in District 7-4A, Division 2, play with two district games remaining.
The Panthers (0-8, 0-3) are looking for their first win of the season as they will try to upset the Vandals on Paris North Lamar’s ‘Senior Night.’
The game at Paris North Lamar will be the first time that the Vandals have played on a grass field in 10 years as the Vandals’ last game on grass was played in the same stadium in Paris in 2015.
“I remember that Paris North Lamar had a good football team that year and we went up there and won a tight ballgame,” recalled Moffatt. “We will be ready to play Friday night whether it is turf, grass, or a parking lot we play on. The concern is what the weather is going to do this week. They are supposed to have rain up there Wednesday (Oct. 29) or Thursday (Oct. 30). We all know that football is an outdoor sport. Weather is something we don’t talk a whole lot about. The weather is the same for both teams. We just need to take care of our job.”
Moffatt agreed that the Panthers are a struggling football team and to say they were not would be a false statement.
“They have not won a game this year,” said Moffatt. “This will be their last home game of the season. It will be ‘Senior Night’ for them. You just never know. We have to be ready for anything and everything, onside kicks, trick plays, or whatever. They have nothing to lose. This will be their last game on their home field.”
Moffatt recalled playing high school football for Sulphur Springs at the Paris North Lamar field in 1993.
“The weather was terrible that night,” said Moffatt. “It was sleeting. It was the same grass field in the same stadium. I think the weather will be better than that this time around. I remember one of my teammates intercepting a pass late in the game and as he was running down the sidelines, a player from Paris North Lamar came off their sideline and made the tackle. It almost started a huge brawl. The officials called the game early.”
This year’s Paris North Lamar team will feature an ‘odd’ front defensively, according to Moffatt.
“We just have to be ready to adjust to anything they try to do against us,” said Moffatt. “Offensively, they will be in the ‘spread’ formation and they like to throw the ball a lot.”
The Vandal head coach discussed how he thinks his team will respond after suffering a difficult 24-21 loss at Pittsburg Oct. 23.
“The word for this week is ‘respond,” pointed out Moffatt. “That is what we have to do at Paris North Lamar Friday night. There is only one response after not playing well last week and that is to play well this week. I told our team Monday morning that the response starts now. It doesn’t start Friday night. The players have to be in a good mental frame of mind as they prepare for this week’s game. I expect our guys to do that. Our seniors know that they have to step up and set the tone for the team. I fully expect them to provide great leadership, and I fully expect our guys to be ready to go Friday night.”
With two district games remaining, state-ranked Texarkana Pleasant Grove leads the District 7-4A, Division 2, race with a 3-0 district record.
Van and Pittsburg are tied for second place at 2-1. Gilmer and Spring Hill are 1-2 and Paris North Lamar is 0-3 in district play.
This Friday night, Oct. 31, in addition to the Van/Paris North Lamar contest, Texarkana Pleasant Grove will host Pittsburg, and Gilmer will travel to Spring Hill.
In the final district and regular season game Friday, Nov. 7, Van will host Texarkana Pleasant Grove, Spring Hill will travel to Pittsburg, and Gilmer will host Paris North Lamar.
The sub-varsity schedule for the Vandals Thursday, Oct. 30 will have some changes, according to Moffatt.
The freshmen game against Paris North Lamar will be played at Van’s Memorial Stadium starting at 5 p.m.
The junior varsity game will be against Gilmer on the road in a 6:30 p.m. start.
There will be three junior high football games at Paris North Lamar starting at 4:30 p.m.
For results of the Van/Paris North Lamar game as well as a preview of the Vandals’ district and regular season finale at Van’s Memorial Stadium against Texarkana Pleasant Grove Friday, Nov. 7, check out www.vanzandtnews.com.