Vikings welcome Lincoln in Class 4A regional finals

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

Florida Freedom Newspapers
(850) 315-4476 | travisd@nwfdailynews.com

FORT WALTON BEACH - Each and every time Luke Barnes drops back to pass tonight, he will be sure to locate No. 3 on the Tallahassee Lincoln defense.

That's the jersey number worn by Trojans' senior safety Jawanza Starling, a player regarded by rivals.com as the top safety prospect in the state of Florida and the ninth-best player at the position in the country.

He's good. Very good, in fact, and he's not alone, as the Trojans' secondary is teeming with the type of speed and athleticism Vikings coach Mike Owens said his team has yet to see this season.

"They are probably as talented a secondary group as we've seen," Owens said. "Which means we have to run precise routes, we have to be accurate in our throws."

Then, with a slight chuckle, Owens adds, "Luke is definitely not afraid to throw it."

In Barnes' own mind, tonight's Class 4A regional final contest against Lincoln Tallahassee (9-3) at Steve Riggs Stadium isn't just another challenge for he and his offensive teammates, it's also an opportunity.

"I like the challenge of playing a really good defense," Barnes said. "Really good players sometimes make really big mistakes, too."

As is often the case when two equally matched opponents line up, tonight's game, which begins at 7:30 p.m., could come down to who flinches first.

Fort Walton Beach (10-1) enters tonight's meeting perhaps as healthy as its been since the season's opening weeks, with defensive linemen Akeem Spence and T.J. Boyet having moved past the nagging injuries that had bothered them for much of the season.

The return to health of Spence and Boyet could prove critical against a Tallahassee Lincoln team that prides itself on a hard-nosed running game that is spearheaded by sophomore running back Javorius Allen and bruising fullback Tony Moore.

"Up front defensively, we have to tackle well," Owens said. "If we don't, it could be a long night. That's key No. 1."

Next on Owens' list for the Vikings is establishing a ball-control offense, an idea that would seem to fly in the face of Fort Walton Beach's pass-first, pass-second philosophy, but actually plays to the unit's strengths.

While Trent Williams has provided the Vikings a vertical down-the-field threat capable of scoring on any play, fellow pass catchers Will Wamble, J.T. Wortham, Carter Liufau, Jake Kalenze and Robert Willis give the Vikings a strong intermediate passing attack that has not only succeeded in pushing the ball down the field but has also chewed up valuable clock in the process.

"Just because we throw the ball around more than most people, we still have kind of a control passing game," Owens said. "It's like an extension of the run. If we execute, we can do the same thing."

When the Vikings do decide to run, they will now have a healthy Charlie Lott to hand the ball off to. After missing time with a sore ankle, Lott returned in last week's win over Pace and, according to Owens, has "got in the groove again."

With a berth in the 4A state championship just two wins away, Owens said now is the ideal time to find a rhythm.

"The kids are excited," Owens said. "We've not been this far since 2004. We're going to try to make it one more round and see what happens."