No. 2 Lowndes' defense prepares for No. 4 Ware County

VALDOSTA - Somewhere in the Lowndes High fieldhouse, Vikings&#39; defensive coordinator Randy Hill has an &#39;Air Ware&#39; offense instruction manual lying around.<br> <br> Hill doesn&#39;t read the part about putting it together, but he&#39;s got the dismantling instructions highlighted in bright yellow.<br> <br> Both sections of the manual are extensive, but how well the Vikings&#39; have studied up on breaking the offense down won&#39;t be known until Friday.<br> <br> Hill will rely on a green Vikings&#39; secondary, one that returns just one starter from a year ago, Friday when Class AAAAA No. 2 Lowndes hosts AAAA No. 4 Ware at Martin Stadium in a matchup of undefeated former region rivals.<br> <br> Hill disputes claims that Lowndes&#39; defense has yet to be tested by the pass this season on its way to a 4-0 start.<br> <br> ``They&#39;ve been tested,&#39;&#39; Hill said of his defense, which has been thrown on 91 times in the first four games. ``Last year going into that ballgame (vs. Ware) all we had faced was wing-T teams. This year we&#39;ve seen some teams throwing the football. We should be more prepared than we were last year.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Region 1-AAAA passing leader Henry Chubb replaces 2003 Gators&#39; quarterback Stevie Daniels and Hill says Chubb, who&#39;s also an all-region cornerback, has taken command of the &#39;Air Ware&#39; scheme and run with it.<br> <br> ``He can make a play throwing or running,&#39;&#39; said Hill, who added Chubb came in at quarterback as a freshman against Lowndes after the starter was injured. ``He&#39;s dangerous back there scrambling around. I&#39;ve seen him throw it 60 yards on the run.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Said Vikings&#39; junior safety Jermel Demps, ``He still can move just like the other one (Daniels).&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The Gators&#39; top receiver Xabo Thomas, a 6-foot-5 pigskin magnet, and Cedric Jones, a 6-foot-3 tight end who&#39;s normally split out wide, make Ware one of the most dangerous offenses in AAAA ball.<br> <br> Demps, Lowndes&#39; lone returning starter in the secondary, says the Vikings&#39; defense is ready to prove that the defensive backfield isn&#39;t a weakness.<br> <br> ``We&#39;ve been ready for a test,&#39;&#39; Demps said. ``They said at the beginning of the season that we were a little weak. I think we&#39;ve come a long way.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Demps is joined by secondary mates Tavarus Carter, Deon Poole, Larry Jones and Stevie Harden, the only player other than Demps with more than one year of varsity experience in the secondary.<br> <br> The defensive backfield and the Vikings defense as a whole are also concerned about Ware&#39;s rushing offense, which leads Region 1-AAAA.<br> <br> ``They&#39;ve run it a little more than they did last year, but they&#39;re still going to throw it a lot,&#39;&#39; Demps said.<br> <br> The Gators&#39; leader in the backfield, Je&#39;Mario Barkley, broke off a 40-yard touchdown run in Ware&#39;s opener, a 31-17 win over Coffee.<br> <br> Add to that Ware&#39;s knack for pulling out all the stops on offense, compliments of Gators&#39; offensive coordinator William Davis, who held the same position at Lowndes four years ago.<br> <br> ``He does some tricky stuff,&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Demps said about Davis. ``They like to go trips and quads and they&#39;ll go deep on you.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> And, of course, there&#39;s Davis&#39; trademark the fumblerooskie.<br> <br> ``Hadn&#39;t seen it (on film), Hill said, ``but it&#39;s coming.&#39;&#39;