With District 9 5-A supremacy on the line, Lake Highlands had few answers for an attacking Skyline defense that held the Wildcats in check in a 39-14 Raiders victory at the Boneyard.

With a strained hamstring limiting Desmond Roland to just three carries and 46 yards rushing, the Raiders defense, led by Anthony Wallace and Franklin Shannon swarmed Michael Ketchmark and company all evening. The Lake Highlands (6-3) offense simply had no answers for Skyline's (7-2) attacking defense.

With limited offensive production, the ‘Cats defense was on the field for most of the night, shutting out Skyline’s offense in the first quarter before surrendering a Devante Kincade to Thomas Johnson 15-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.

Throughout the first half, Kincade repeatedly went to Johnson in a controlled-passing game, as the pair connected for 110 yards through the air.

Skyline penalties and three first half turnovers kept the Wildcats in the game – for a while.

Dana “Two-Two” Taylor intercepted two errant Kincade throws, ending Skyline scoring drives deep in Lake Highlands’ territory. Another interception by Jalen Broussard thwarted yet another score.

Skyline’s game plan was simple – control the ball offensively and let the area’s fourth-rated defense contain the Wildcat’s high-octane offense.

The plan worked to near perfection.

With a 14-0 lead, the Raiders opened the second half with a commitment to running the football. Junior running back Peter Jinkens slashed the Wildcats on a four-play scoring drive that extended the Skyline lead to 20-0.

The Wildcats responded with their most impressive drive of the night before penalties and pressure from the Skyline defense ended the drive.

Once again, the Raiders called on Jinkens as he ripped off a 65-yard touchdown run, effectively ending the game at 26-0.

For the night, Jinkens finished with 237 yards rushing on just 13 carries – three of which were for touchdowns. Looking ahead to next season, Jinkens will most certainly top the list of college recruiters across the region and perhaps across the country.

The Wildcats did not back down from the challenge, however.

An impressive13-yard touchdown pass from Michael Ketchmark to Devonte Sunwenghan trimmed the lead to 26-7 before Skyline answered with a touchdown toss from Kincade to Rashaad Samples.

A seven-yard touchdown run by Sunwenghan finished Lake Highlands scoring but unfortunately, it was a case of too little, too late.

Despite the disappointing night, the Wildcats can take some solace from the loss. The defense was at times very good, intercepting Kincade three times and pressuring Skyline into several long-yardage situations.

A week’s rest will certainly help mend the walking wounded, including Desmond Roland. The all-area running back was sorely missed on a night when ball-control was the key to the game.

The Wildcats will host Richardson for an important District 9-5A game that kicks off at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at the Boneyard.

The final regular season game will also serve as Senior Night, before the Wildcats playoff run officially begins.

If you missed all the action, you can listen to the archived broadcast of the game in our LH Today Broadcast Center.

See you next Friday at the Boneyard!

GO 'CATS!

Click HERE for a video of the 2010 LHHS Tailgate party which took place prior to the Skyline game.