Lake Highlands faces yet another test in district game against Richardson Berkner

This week, Lake Highlands meets Richardson Berkner at Wildcat-Ram Stadium.

Or is it Ram-Wildcat Stadium? Depends on who you ask.

“If you put it into Google maps, the way it’s listed it’s going to come up as Wildcat-Ram,” stated Berkner head soccer trainer Trey Bryant III. ” When I put it on the schedule, I call it Ram-Wildcat, regardless of if we lost or won. Regardless, that’s what I call it. I’m pretty sure [Richardson] Pearce does the same thing with calling it Mustang-Eagle or Mustang Stadium.”

The stadium’s name aside, Lake Highlands (3–1, 2–0) and Berkner (2–2, 2–0) will play a pivotal game on Friday that could decide the fate of District 7-6A. Highland Park, the reigning district champion, was picked to win 7-6A this year and Jesuit, last year’s runner-up, was picked to finish in second place once more. But that hierarchy has dissolved since Week 3.

Enter Lake Highlands.

In a game that spanned two days thanks to weather delays, Lake Highlands beat Highland Park 51-41 for its first win over the football power since 1989. Then in Week 4, Lake Highlands bested Jesuit 28-14 in yet another critical district game. Lake Highlands continues this tough stretch of the season against Berkner, the only other team with a 2–0 district record.

“One thing we talk to our kids about is just trying not to look too far down the road, taking it one day at a time,” said Lake Highlands head football coach Cory Campbell. “Starting the district with Highland Park and Jesuit and then now Berkner. Playing the three playoff teams from last season right off the bat, our district was definitely front loaded.”

Berkner doesn’t play Highland Park until Oct. 6 and its contest with Jesuit comes Oct. 13. The winner of this latest meeting between Lake Highlands and Berkner won’t necessarily decide the district, but moving forward, it will bode well for whichever program is the victor.

And if anyone is wondering, Bryant is not particularly worried about Deonte Dean, Lake Highlands’ leading rusher and the highest ranked rusher in the Dallas-area among 6A teams. The senior has rushed for 965 yards and 10 touchdowns on 110 carries.

“He’s a great running back,” Bryant said. “But at the end of the day, my defense, our defense, sees a great running back every day in Jamary Williams.”

Williams, a senior, has rushed for 446 yards and seven touchdowns on 59 carries, good enough for eighth best in the area among 6A rushers. In last week’s game against Richardson Pearce, Williams scored two touchdowns in Berkner’s 35-28 win.

Still, Bryant does not ignore Lake Highlands’ strengths.

“A great football team, well-coached football team. Physical football team. Fast football team,” Bryant said. “Nothing has changed from when Lonnie Jordan was there to now Cory Campbell, so nothing but respect to those guys over there and the tradition they have.”

Campbell, who became head coach at Lake Highlands this season after serving as its assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, said Berkner’s speed and athleticism at all skill positions is phenomenal.

That will be a challenge for his team on Friday night at Wildcat-Ram Stadium — or whatever it’s called.

“We don’t have too many conversations about what our stadium’s called or whose name goes on it first,” Campbell said. “If you ask the people in Lake Highlands, it’s called the boneyard. And that’s really more of what we refer to as our stadium in our building.”

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