Games to watch: Olton football tries to stay in title hunt against New Deal

There's no need to inform Olton head coach Ross Lassiter about New Deal. He knows all about the Lions.

Same goes for New Deal head coach Matt Hill.

The teams always find a way to meet each other on the football field, whether they're in the same district or not.

After a two-year hiatus — in which the teams met in the bi-district round of the playoffs both times — the Lions and Mustangs are back together in District 2-2A Division I. For Lassiter's bunch, they're hoping this one will go a bit better than last week's loss to Sundown.

The Roughnecks ran roughshod on Olton to the tune of 412 yards spread among 10 different runners. Lassiter said Sundown's size exposed some weaknesses in the Mustangs defense, an area that will need to be cleared up with an even bigger New Deal squad coming to town on Friday.

"We know where we need to get better to stop the run," Lassiter said. "And while they're a lot different teams as far as style and what they do over at Sundown, it doesn't take away from the fact that we're a bit undersized. We've got to find a way to stop the run, and that's a big key for us this week."

The Lions (4-3 overall, 2-0 district) tend to pass a bit more than the Roughnecks, though 66% of their total yards on the season have come from the rushing game.

New Deal took its lumps in non-district play thanks to a mixture of stiff competition and injuries. Hill sees the tough stretch as a positive overall for what it means as the playoffs approach.

"I think it was a little bit of a blessing in disguise," Hill said, "because it allowed some other kids to step up and get some playing time, which now those kids have got spots on the field. Everybody wants to go out and be undefeated in preseason, but I think it actually helped us harden our skin a little bit, so I think we're just ready to proceed forward."

While the Lions are big and physical up front, relying on the rushing attack from the likes of Kendrick Nelson, the Mustangs (5-2, 1-1) lean on the passing attack led by quarterback Logan Lassiter.

Early in the season, Lassiter's favorite target, Jake Soliz, was receiving a great deal of attention from defenses. Needing to find a new go-to man, he looked for Joel Olivas Jr., who has turned in a stellar campaign to this point. He and Soliz were neck-and-neck statistically before Soliz missed the past two games with an injury.

Coach Lassiter hopes Olton will have Soliz back against New Deal, but said the game will ultimately be decided by how well his team holds up against New Deal's interior.

"I feel like our D-line has done a pretty good job all year," Lassiter said. "To me, our big challenge this week is going to come from our second-level guys, our linebackers, our inside linebackers, our outside linebackers. Those are the kids that we're really focused on this week that had to pick up their game."

On the Radar

➤ Shallowater (6-1, 1-0) at No. 2 Bushland (8-0, 2-0) — Perhaps the biggest game of the week and what will ultimately decide the champion out of District 2-3A Division I. The Mustangs haven't had this type of challenge since early in the season, while Bushland has dominated each of its eight games.

➤ Estacado (4-3, 1-0) at Brownwood (6-2, 2-0) — The Matadors exorcised a lot of non-district demons with the thrilling overtime win over Andrews. Now they hit the road and, if they can pull off another upset, would keep themselves in the driver's seat for a fourth-straight district title.

➤ Abernathy (5-2, 2-0) at Littlefield (5-2, 1-1) — The Antelopes haven't played too many teams that take to the air as much as the Wildcats do. Both of Abernathy's losses have come to teams that pass the ball frequently.

➤ No. 6 Happy (6-1, 0-0) at Nazareth (6-1, 0-0) — The district opener also happens to be a battle of the two best teams in the district. Expect some fireworks between the Cowboys and Swifts.

➤ Slaton (0-7, 0-1) at Lamesa (1-6, 0-2) — It's an elimination game in District 1-3A with the Tigers and Tornadoes trying to put themselves in the playoffs.

New Deal at Olton

District 2-2A Division I football

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: Memorial Stadium, Olton

Records: New Deal 4-3, 2-0; Olton 5-2, 1-1

Coverage: Follow @NathanGiese on Twitter for live updates, plus video, photos and stories to appear on lubbockonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Games to watch: Olton football tries to stay in title hunt vs New Deal