Ross and his staff have been pleased by how hard their young team has been playing of late, winning three of their last four after a slow start to the 2006 season. At home, the Lions have been particularly good, losing only to a national playoff-bound Georgetown (Ky.) team by ten, while dominating three HAAC opponents by a combined score of 117-48. On the road … well, not so much. However, the Lions did get their first road win of the season last week at Central Methodist, which could be a sign that a team stocked with freshmen and sophomores in all corners of the two-deep might be gaining some maturity.

They’ll need it Saturday, as not only will the combination of Valley’s talent and their own youth be in play, but the dreaded injury bug will also be lurking in the shadows of LU Stadium. Senior All-American safety Marcus Klund and standout punter Zac Atterberry suffered season-ending injuries last Saturday, and junior defensive end Jeremy Coley, expected to be a dominating force in the preseason, has barely played at all in 2006 because of various nagging injuries. Many teams enter the latter part of football season resembling a MASH unit, but when you’re as young as the Lions to begin with, losing a senior warrior like Klund is a stiff kick to the throat.

Interestingly enough, the Vikings are about as wet behind the ears as the Lions, so it may be that the road to the Heart title could well go through Marshall and/or St. Charles for the next few years. Troth’s team will start only five seniors here this afternoon, and the Lions will start only four. Valley lists 18 freshmen or sophomores on their two-deep, while Lindenwood goes into this important battle with 25 underclassmen on its’ depth chart.

Lion head coach Patrick Ross and his team prepare to take the field last weekend at Central Methodist - the 34-21 win over the Eagles gave LU a record of 21-5 in HAAC play since Ross and his staff came to Lindenwood in 2004.

The future is not Saturday, though, and the reality is that both teams need their young players to contribute now. The Vikings have been nearly flawless so far in 2006, with linebacker-turned-tailback Robert Holmes carrying the rock on offense, hitters everywhere, and two teams’ worth of speed on defense. To counter that balance here this afternoon, the Lions will have to play their best football of the season in the most important game of the season. Special teams play has been critical to the success the Lions have enjoyed on their home turf in 2006, and that will definitely have to continue Saturday for LU to take down the Vikings. Junior tailback Hakeem Abdullah is coming on strong for the Lions, racking up 133 rushing yards on 16 carries last weekend. The Indianapolis native is now leading the HAAC in yards per carry at 7.2, and he has emerged as LU’s go-to weapon on offense. Sophomore linebacker Logen Wright, this week’s HAAC Defensive Player of the Week after a 17-tackle performance at CMU, will have to step up again if the Lions are to contain Holmes, senior QB Jason Shoulders, and the rest of the speedy Vikings.