Lake View Faces Tough Playoff Test in No. 9 Decatur Friday

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Lake View Chiefs head into the playoffs this Friday with a tough first-round test against No. 9 Decatur.

Last time out, Lake View fell to Midland Greenwood on the road, 69-0. While not an ideal way for a team with several key injuries to finish the regular season, Lake View still performed well enough during the season to earn the No. 3 seed out of district with a win over Andrews.

"We didn't play well against Greenwood," Lake View head coach Hector Guevara said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. "But a lot of that has to do with them. They did a good job. We just have to learn how to overcome those situations. We have a lot of injuries, of course, but that gives an opportunity to the next guy. So, we have to step up and make plays.

Unfortunately for the Chiefs, the way the UIL bracket is laid out has Lake View pulling from an extremely talented Metroplex district in the first round.

Enter No. 9 Decatur. Sporting a 9-1 overall record this season, the Eagles met little resistance throughout the regular season. Decatur's only loss this season came at the hands of eventual district champion Aubrey, but even in that game, the Eagles lost 28-21.

Decatur brings an interesting offense to the table against the Chiefs, mainly in the form of junior Wyatt Dunn. The young man has a unique stat line as he's rushed for 737 yards, caught passes for 637 yards and even thrown for an additional 807 yards. Rarely do you see someone at larger schools make this kind of impact all over the field, but Dunn is one of those guys. Beyond the yards, he has been pivotal in scoring, compiling 32 touchdowns for Decatur across all phases of the game.

If the Chiefs want to have a chance in this ball game, Lake View must find a way to slow Dunn down.

With that being said, senior quarterback Chris Alvizo and the rest of the Chiefs' offense have proven that they can be explosive and score against anyone when Lake View is firing on all cylinders. The Chiefs will need another big performance from Alvizo, who might be playing his final game in a Lake View uniform after starting for three straight years for the Chiefs.

"We have to put points on the board," Guevara continued. "Especially during this time of the year. All the teams that are in the playoffs are good and are there for a reason. We just need to continue to play our game and clean up a lot of things from the Greenwood game."

Kickoff in Friday's matchup with Decatur is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Mineral Wells at Ram Stadium.