The Vinton Lions and the Hamilton Christian Warriors both have started off the 2009 season on a rough note. Both squads have had a tough schedule and enter week five of the season with 0-4 records and look to right the ship.

“They (Hamilton Christian) have had some injuries and turnovers that have hampered them,” Vinton head coach Wendell LeJeune. “We are similar in the way we have started the games by giving teams easy touchdowns, turnovers deep in our own territory, and being young and having things not go our way. Neither one of us are as bad as our record shows.”

Last week, the Warriors were torched for 454 yards rushing by Gueydan in a 56-14 loss.

The Lions have had their troubles with the run allowing 307.5 yards per game, but have ran the ball better as of late. Last week at Kinder, Vinton rushed for a season high 187 yards against the Yellow Jackets.

“We have done a decent job of running the football with our fullback position,” LeJeune said. “We are starting to get (Joe) Prince more involved in the option and hopefully things will start to open up for our tailbacks.”

Prince ran for 86 yards and a touchdown to lead the Lions in rushing last week against Kinder while fullback Kelby Hebert rushed for 53 yards and Dieon Sonnier ran for 54 yards.

“Joe is going to have to carry it more often,” LeJeune said. “He is strong and one of our faster guys in the backfield.”

Hamilton Christian’s defense is led by defensive tackles Alex Drew and Sean Ardoin.

“They have a couple of guys on the inside that are going to give us some trouble,” LeJeune said. “It’s going to hinge on how we control the inside tackles.”

But the area LeJeune said that the Lions are going to have to improve is in pass protection.

“Our biggest thing is have to be able to pass protect and throw the ball better than what we have been doing,” LeJeune said. “We went back to basics this week.”

Defensively for the Lions, LeJeune said that they are going to have to limit short field situations.

“They (Kinder) had 20 points on 50 yards of offense,” LeJeune said on last week’s game. “They returned a punt for a touchdown and recovered a fumble on the 15-yard line and scored on the next play. It puts you in a bind when you start off 20-0 with no time off the clock.”

LeJeune said the key defensively would be containing the Warriors’ fullback.

“We have to be able to stop the fullback dives on the veers they run,” stated LeJeune. “They haven’t run the option that much because they are getting enough yards on the dive. We are going to have to play assignment football. It’s understanding you have to do your job and a guy will be there to do theirs.”

Running back Marcos Partin has rushed for 87 yards for Hamilton Christian this season while quarterback Cameron Meyer leads the Warriors with 88 yards.

Meyer has thrown for 313 yards with two touchdowns thus far this season while going 22-for-41 with three interceptions.

Even though the Lions are 0-4, LeJeune is pleased to see that his seniors are taking leadership of the team.

“We are extremely pleased with the attitude of our seniors and doing a great job of battling the whole game,” LeJeune said. “They are there trying to pump up the young kids and playing through it.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at B.S. Walker Stadium.