After a disappointing loss, there’s no time for Sachse to feel down because the playoffs are on the line.

They take on Lakeview Centennial, who have a talented offense led by a dynamic star and a physical defensive line. Both of these teams sit at 2-1 in the district standings. They’re currently two of the four teams with that record in the standings that are looking up to first place Rowlett and every game matters in this shortened season. Here are Sachse’s three keys to beating Lakeview Centennial.

1. Account for Camar Wheaton and the Patriots rushing attack

Camar Wheaton isn’t simply the best running back in the district, he’s currently one of the most talented players in the entire country. 247sports currently rates him as a five-star running back who’s the top-ranked player at his position, and no. 21 in the country overall. He can do it all, from high-end speed, strength and versatility, Wheaton has 43 touchdowns for his high school career.

The toughest part about Lakeview Centennial is, after Wheaton missed a game due to injury, he’s not even the team’s leading rusher. Along with him, the Patriots have Zechariah Dunston, who leads the team with 303 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He and Wheaton make a dominant one-two punch.

Sachse was able to shut down Rowlett in the rushing department last week and they’ll need to do so again this Friday.

2. Battle the Patriots at the Line of Scrimmage

The Patriots have a lot of size and talent on both sides of the line of scrimmage They’re led by Ikechukwu Iwunnah, who’s the anchor on their defensive line. They were able to completely shut down Wylie’s rushing attack last week. That’s something that Sachse simply can’t afford with one of the best rushing attacks in the district.

With quarterback Alex Orji and running backs Brian Okoye and Kori Jones, the Mustangs have three dynamic runners on the field at all times and can still move the ball against Lakeview Centennial. They need to decide if they want to try and attack the strength of this Patriots defense in the middle or beat them to the edge and run more to the outside. Either way, Sachse will need to be able to find success.

3. Limit the mistakes

It continues to be a problem that plagues Sachse, but they have to prevent themselves from hurting their own drives. Last week against the Eagles, the Mustangs committed another 10 penalties for 104 yards. The biggest problem is not just the penalties, but the timing. Many of the penalties prevented big plays from the Sachse offense and big stops from the defense. While Sachse has been able to get away with it because they are such a talented team, it hurt them against Rowlett and finally caught them. If they cannot limit mistakes against Lakeview Centennial, who has just as much talent as Sachse, it could be a long Friday night.

For more stories like this, see our Nov. 5 issue or subscribe online.

By Kyle Grondin • [email protected]