It's Inevitable. SouthLake Vs Davidson Day Prediction

The time has finally arrived. After years of trash talk and hype, SouthLake Christian and Davidson Day will finally do battle on the gridiron ... hopefully.

The season is more than halfway over. Both squads boast impressive records. Davidson Day is undefeated; SouthLake has only one debauchery in the loss column. Each school is also accustomed to winning in their own right. Davidson Day’s trophy case is filled to the brim. The Patriots hold three consecutive state championship wooden plaques. The Eagles of SouthLake also have a bejeweled ring to their name. To add to the excitement, the NCISAA Division II conference is incredibly weak this year. So far, the competition has failed in comparison to the firepower held by these two teams. If everything proceeds as planned, both schools will be on a crash course to the state championship. The game is over a month away, but if the season ended today, these would be the keys to winning for both teams:

Davidson Day

When the season first started, no one knew what the Patriots would bring to the table. With Will Grier, the National Player of the Year, off at Gainesville, it would be have been easy to count Davidson Day out. He played the quarterback position unlike any other, and was the catalyst behind their three championships. With him gone, many people hypothesised that their season would be a fiasco. But it wasn’t. The Patriots record is spotless. Barring an unforseen colapse, they will retain the first seed in the division and host the Eagles for the state championship game. If Davidson Day hopes to gain a fourth title, they will need to do 2 things.

• Find Mismatches

This is something they do extremely well. During Chad Grier’s tenure as head coach, he has been notorious for executing an offense feared for its aerial bombardment. He has also done an exquisite job in developing his new quarterback, Anthony Digioia. In years prior, Digioia has never seen a varsity start. Now, his track record holds 1723 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a QBR of 133.4. All but two of his receivers on the roster have snagged touchdown receptions as well. Charlotte Latin exposed SouthLake’s defense, especially its secondary. During this game Latin showed the power of favorable matchups and a rhythmic offense when they scorched the Eagles for over 40 points. If Davidson Day executes its passing attack and dictates to the defense, SouthLake will be in for a long night.

• Play Sound Defense

Until this year, Davidson Day’s defense was scarcely shown respect. The team simply relied on Will Grier’s greatness to hull them out of games. For whatever reason, their philosophy has altered this year. Davidson Day flies to the ball and communicates extremely well. In six exhibitions, the Patriots defense has allowed only 44 points. SouthLake returns only one starter on the offensive line. If Davidson Day takes advantage of that, and forces the opposing offense off the field, they will win. Latin sacked SouthLake's QB Zach Dudan nine times and made SouthLake punt on numerous occasions, causing the defense to exhaust its energy. This year, the Eagles have been a defensive team. However, if they are on the field for long intervals, they will become tired. Once they become mentally and physically drained, mistakes and miscommunications are sure to happen and the Patriots will pounce on them.

SouthLake

SouthLake’s season started out differently than DDay’s. The Eagles ushered in a new era by hiring Bobby McLaughlin as their new head coach. Michael Causey, the defensive coordinator, has also scrapped together one of the most underrated defenses in the state. Like Davidson Day, the Eagles will also need to keep two things in mind in order to win their second consecutive title.

• Win the Battles at the Offensive Line of Scrimmage

Like I said earlier, the SouthLake has only returned one starter on the offensive line. This has been extremely evident throughout the season. Dudan has had little time to throw and subsequently missed open targets. If Dudan has enough time to throw, he will be able to spot his receivers. In my opinion, Davidson Day’s secondary won’t be able to keep up SouthLake’s skill positions, a band of players which is scattered with Division I talent. If the passing game is strong, it will also open up running lanes for Robert Washington, one of the best running backs in the nation. The Eagles success in this game will be incumbent upon their capability to throw the ball, which is caused by the offensive line's ability to protect its quarterback.

• Play Opportunistic Defense

The Eagles have been doing this all year. Defense and special teams have been a contributing factor for putting points on the scoreboard. If SouthLake plays its brand of hardnosed, relentless defense, they will rattle the Patriots attack. This could cause Digioia to throw an interception or another offensive player to fumble at a pivotal moment. I also doubt that Davidson Day’s offensive line can withstand the rushes of Grant Burshinski, Seth Nerness or Jalen Nash. If SouthLake’s does what they normally do on defense, they should come out with a W.

These predictions are what I think could happen if they played today. The game is not set in stone yet, but many people feel that it is bound to happen. If it doesn’t, it still wouldn’t hurt to dream. People throughout the Lake Norman area have been doing it for the past 4 years anyway.

Emmanuel Morgan