Last season, Lake View High School finished the year with a 7-5 record, making it to the second round of playoffs before falling to Scott’s Branch 42-6.
This year, the Wild Gators are ready to chase their 10th state title, kicking off the season with a 20-0 win over Hannah-Pamplico at the Geathers Family Football Jamboree in Carvers Bay on Saturday, August 13.
The win came days after their first match of the season in the Lake View Jamboree was canceled due to inclement weather.
The win was also a good sign of things to come for a team filled with mostly young players. Lake View lost 15 seniors from last year’s squad, leaving a lot of gaps to cover.
Daryl King, now entering his fourth year as head coach for the Wild Gators, says there are a “a lot of new faces,” including five relatively new starters on the offensive line.
King is looking to several more experienced players, including two standout defensive ends, Adam Ford and Jason Locklear, as well as junior quarterback Chris Ford, for leadership on the field.
“We have a lot of work to do to get better,” he said, but also added, “We have a a group of young men who are working extremely hard.”
Lake View’s coaching staff has a new addition as well, with Johnny Dew adding over 30 years of experience to the Gators’ staff, which also includes Jonathan Robinson, Andy Ford, Cloy Ford, and Steven Laird.
Though it may be easy to overlook Lake View, a state title run is definitely not out of the question. The Wild Gators hold nine championships already, the most recent in 2006, and they haven’t missed the postseason since 1973.
There are no new teams on the schedule this year, but it still won’t be an easy road. The schedule includes Hemingway, who delivered a 40-14 loss to Lake View last season, and Johnsonville, who defeated the Gators 28-14 in 2010.
“Everyone will be tough,” King said. “Everyone has gotten better from last year.”
“We will have the same work ethic we always use,” he added. “Try to get better everyday.”
The Wild Gators now head into their first game of the regular season on Friday, August 19, at 7:30 p.m. against Aynor. The Class AA Blue Jackets finished last season with a 4-6 record, with Lake View falling to Aynor 21-15 in last season’s opener.
On August 26, the Wild Gators will take on Dillon in Lake View at 8:00 p.m. Last season the Class AA Wildcats delivered a 31-0 loss to Lake View and will likely be a powerhouse opponent again this season. Lake View hasn’t beaten Dillon in over a decade.
Lake View’s first conference game of the season will be on Friday, September 16, when they’ll host Green Sea-Floyds at 7:30 p.m.
