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HOOP SCOOP: What will Lake Ridge do for an encore?
Mansfield Lake Ridge Eagles
Head Coach: Cornelius Mitchell
District 3-6A
Cornelius Mitchell enters his second season of leading Mansfield Lake Ridge and the Eagles are coming off an incredible year. This was a Mansfield Lake Ridge team that went 32-7 and reached the Class 6A State Semifinals.
The Eagles return just two starters off that squad. Players to watch this year include Shaqir Pack (6 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg), Eze Nwakamma (11 ppg, 6 rpg, 1.5 spg, 35 blocks, 56% FG) and Abisayo Gbakinro (3 ppg, 2 rpg, 1 apg). Nwakamma is 6-foot-8 and a second-team, all-district pick from a year ago.
Keys to success for Mitchell’s team includes offensive rebounds, 32 minutes of pressure and playing at their pace. The Eagles motto for 24-25 is “Non-stop action from whistle to horn”.
Game Preview: Rockwall-Heath prepped for Lake Ridge
Week three has continued non-district games for many schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This week, Rockwall-Heath travels to Mansfield to take on Lake Ridge in a showdown fans are ready to tune in to. VYPE DFW dives into these two teams and what can be expected from this pairing:
Rockwall-Heath Hawks (1-1)
Rockwall-Heath posted a 7-5 overall record last season, but had a tougher time in district play (going 3-3). Utilizing every moment in offseason preparations, the Hawks were able to add quality depth to their team. Despite a season-opening 42-14 loss to Denton Guyer, Heath bounced back in a hard-fought battle against Euless Trinity (31-24) for their first victory of the season.
Led by Malachi Tuesno, Jack Warren, Drew Smith, Cameron Smith, Johnathan Hart, Charles Jones, Caleb Hoover, De'Arrius Bell, and others, the Heath Hawks have a strong front and an offense that knows how to score early. This team is geared up for the likes of Lake Ridge on Friday.
Mansfield Lake Ridge Eagles (0-2)
Lake Ridge had a tough season last year (4-6, 3-4). With the opportunity to bounce into this year, the team has had to overcome adversity early. The Eagles have lost their first two games of the season against Mansfield Summit (55-7) and Fort Worth Boswell (66-42).
Led by athletes like Caleb Woods, Owen Tipping, Jaden Jones, Reign Broadway, Marcus Barnes, Celani Nkomo, Phillips Ojo, Jay Brown, and others, this team is looking to redeem themselves on Friday as they host Rockwall-Heath.
What To Expect
Last season, Rockwall-Heath defeated Mansfield Lake Ridge by a score of 45-35. This season they will look to continue showing their strength and dominating on the field. With a chip on their shoulder, fans can expect Lake Ridge to come out blazing; ready to put a stop to the Heath Hawks. Heath fans can expect a fast-paced style of play in which the Hawks can be expected to score early.
Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday, September 8th in Mansfield.