The CW33 high school football showdown game of the week features two of the area's toughest teams: the Lucas Lovejoy Leopards and the Melissa Cardinals. As these teams gear up for a battle, VYPE DFW takes a look at their seasons so far and what can be expected during this Thursday night matchup!
Lucas Lovejoy Leopards (8-1, 6-0)
The Lovejoy Leopards have put up an incredible record so far this season. Only losing a non-district game against North Crowley, Lovejoy has outscored their opponents by a combined 429-135 on the season. Through non-district play, the Leopards defeated College Station (50-37) and Argyle (42-14) before their loss against North Crowley led them into district play.
In district play, Lovejoy has gone undefeated while shutting out two of their opponents and allowing only one opponent more than one score. Led by Parker Livingstone, Dante Dean, Chase Bogle, Khalin Williams, Sawyer Black, Alexander Franklin, Kari Branch, and more, Lovejoy has posted outstanding district victories over Cranadll (76-0), Princeton (63-0), Denison (47-7), Mesquite Poteet (48-7) and others. The team will look to utilize an aggressive defense on Thursday against Melissa.
Melissa Cardinals (9-0, 6-0)
Undefeated on the season, the Melissa Cardinals have outscored their opponents by a combined 321 points. Shutting down their non-district opponents in three huge victories against Argyle (50-14), China Spring (63-33), and Royse City (39-7), the team was prepared for anything as they headed into their district schedule.
Led by Landen Brandow, Lincoln Dunn, Nathan Adejokun, Nigel Smith, Khristian Turner, Jackson Ford, Trever Ham, Jake Potucek, Gunnar Wilson, and other incredible athletes, Melissa has defeated Crandall (67-28), Terrell (59-28), Princeton (56-13), and others. The team is going to play hard on Thursday as they gear up for Lovejoy.
What To Expect
Last season, Lovejoy put up a strong fight, but ultimately fell 36-35 against Melissa to end district play. This season, the Leopards are looking for revenge. The team is having one of the best defensive seasons of their program and will look to utilize it against Melissa's tough offense. Melissa has worked hard to keep an unblemished record this season. Fans can expect this team to do whatever it takes to set the tone early.
Kick-off is set for 7:35 p.m. at Melissa. If you can't make it out to the game, check out all the action on CW33!