For a team that was picked to finish near the bottom of the conference in the OCC, Lexington at 5-2 and 3-1 under first year coach Dan Studer has put themselves in a position for a shot at a conference championship and a chance at the playoffs.  But their next three games against 6-1, 3-1 West Holmes, 6-1, 4-0 Mansfield Senior and 4-3, 2-2 Ashland will determine wether or not that happens.   

After beating pass oriented Wooster 44-28 last Friday, Lex will have to stop the run offense of West Holmes and the "Wing T".  As head coach Dan Studer put it, "You have to read your keys and tackle well, if you don't you'll get run over."  "They have good athletes and good running backs who know how to run that type of offense."  In their 40-29 loss to Mansfield Senior last week the Knights still ran up 295 yards on the ground, but passed for only 39. 

One of the players Studer will be counting on on both sides of ball is linebacker and running back Andrew Hunt.  Last week against the Generals, Hunt ran for 235 yards and five touchdowns, the fifth coming on a pass interception return for a score.  Lex's defense has shown that they have to ability to stop the run.  Two weeks ago in a 14-10 loss to 6-1, 3-1 Madison, the Minutemen held one of the leading rushers in the Richland County area  Madison's Kale Huss (1,290 yards in seven games) to just 21 yards in ten carries.  Like the Knights and the Rams, Lexington needs a win Friday to stay at least a game back in the OCC standings behind the Tygers with a trip to Arlin Field next Friday on the schedule for the Minutemen.