Lakeland Lakers look to secure a win on home field Friday from Fairfield
LAGRANGE COUNTY, Ind. -- This Friday marks another week of high school football in Michiana.
It's Week 8 for the Hoosier teams with just one week left to go in the regular season before playoffs.
ABC57 viewers chose Fairfield vs. Lakeland for this week's Game of the Week.
The Lakeland Lakers are under the leadership of a new head coach who's stepped in this year to tighten up the team.
"This group here has been really an easy group to coach," says Tom Wogomon, Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School Varsity Football Head Coach.
There's not much more a new coach can ask for; a team that cares and is driven to do better.
That's what Wogomon met with as he began this new stint in his 30 plus year coaching career.
They've got some work to do being 4-3, but it's work he knows will get done with this group.
"There has been a process like I knew there would be, but the great thing is these kids behind me genuinely care about one another," explains Wogomon. "I've always said that is the biggest piece of the element if you're going to be successful."
The senior group has taken on a big leadership role this year, and one of those seniors knows exactly how important that is for the younger players.
Quarterback Brayden Holbrook has been at the helm since his freshman year, and now he gets to have his breakout year, topping 1500 passing yards so far.
"The thing about Brayden is he has such an understanding of the game," Wogomon says. "He just is one of those where, when he steps on the field, there's a sense of confidence and calmness with our team with him being there."
"What helps out a lot is having confidence and not thinking about making mistakes, so that's huge," says Holbrook.
Like any star, they are only as good as their supporting cast, and Holbrook's passes connect especially well with wide receivers Keyan Arroyo and Levi Cook.
"I've had chemistry with all my guys, you know Levi and Keyan, I've been playing with them since I was in third grade, so you know most of it is chemistry," explains Holbrook. "They trust me and where I'm going to put the ball and they're going to go to the right spot. They make me look good."
He loves to throw the ball, and the Lakers are leaning into that love in their offensive strategy.
Unlike other teams in the Michiana area, the Lakers are looking to throw to score.
So far this season, they have more than double the yards in the air than they do on the ground, and it's something Wogomon says was an unexpected side effect of sizing up the talent on his new team.
"That is not my style, it's always been a run style, but again with what we have this year and just what they have, the IQ they bring to the pass game, I'd be crazy not to change my ideas as far as what we need to do and what we can do," Wogomon explains.
On the other side of the ball, the key will be physicality, getting through Fairfield's offensive line and making tackles as a team in the backfield.
"They're going to push us as far as 'Are we ready to play physical football defensively?' because Fairfield's going to bring that mentality," says Wogomon.