Garland Lakeview Centennial made the playoffs last year for the first time since 1995 and they made good on their return to the postseason as they defeated Lake Highlands 55-27 to get their first playoff win in 21 years and put their win total on the season at 8. The following week they were defeated by Beaumont West Brook, but they generated an atmosphere with the program that had not been seen in quite some time.
When you look at the list of names on that squad, it should not come as a surprise with the outstanding group of seniors that led the way for the Patriots last year. It came to be a major strength last year, but the question now is how they go about replacing them.
The Patriots lost a lot of talent, but the next group is coming into their own and could be just as much of an exceptional group of players that puts Lakeview Centennial in the playoffs for a second straight year.
Key Losses
QB Kamron Fields, RB Allen Copeland, WR Shamond Greenwood, WR Calen Mayfield, ATH J’michael Blanchett, LB Tyrell Stewart, DB Donnie Bell
A lot of firepower has been lost with this group of seniors. Fields was named District MVP and Blanchett was named the District Athlete of the Year. Copeland rushed for 938 yards and nine touchdowns and had an additional 192 receiving yards and a touchdown reception.
Speaking of receiving yards, Greenwood produced a 1,000-yard season and had 16 touchdowns while Mayfield had 521 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on his own.
Both Stewart and Bell were first-team all-district selections on the defensive side of the ball.
Key Returners
RB Tedarius Herford, RB/QB Trejohn Caston, DL Quentell Ward, DB Cameron Waddleton , DB Dejaun Jeffery
Herford returns after producing a solid season which he ran for 525 yards and five touchdowns. He will surely be featured more after both Copeland and Fields, the team’s leading rushers last year have graduated. Caston could see time in the backfield as well after running for 367 yards and four touchdowns and could very well be in the competition for the quarterback position.
First-team all-district selection Quentell Ward’s presence will have to be accounted for on the edge and Waddleton and Jeffery should provide some insurance in the secondary.
Verdict
Lakeview Centennial has a good chance to once again make the playoffs, but whether they are clear the next hurdle remains to be seen. Their biggest obstacle will be themselves and the summer will be a time of even harder work and grind to put the rest of the district on notice and prove that they are in a new era of Patriot football.
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