Year of the Dragon: High hopes for Lane College
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JACKSON, Tenn. – There are a few things Lane College’s football team refuses to be content with. The first issue being last year’s performance, and the second being their preseason rankings. Since head coach Derrick Burroughs’ emergence, Lane College has progressed towards a winning tradition. But the Dragons 5-5 finish last year was not what the team aimed for. The football program understands that last year was a learning experience, and plans on using those blunders to their advantage. “I think we have to beat people consistently for them to respect us,” said coach Burroughs confidently. “No team really scares me. We don’t fear anybody.” That high spirit from Coach Burroughs is generated by his venerable defense. Lane’s defensive unit finished last season leading the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in pass defense (5.7 yards per efficiency), while collecting 12 interceptions. The Dragons return six starters from that defensive unit. This season, fans can expect the same up-tempo style from last year. “We’re going to blitz the hell out of people,” said Burroughs jokingly. In addition to Burroughs’ enthusiasm about the havoc his defensive will cause this year, the fourth year head coach thinks his offense has a special year ahead of them. “Out of the 15 days of practice so far, offense has kicked the defense’s butts 14 of them,” said Burroughs. It is no myth that both sides of the ball are pivotal to any team’s success. But the true key to the strong campaign this year by the Dragons is finishing strong. “We let three games slip away in the fourth last year. That’s the difference between 5-5 and 8-2,” said defensive back Jack Howard. “We have to finish better.”
