By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
September 11, 2004
The West Lauderdale Knights felt like they could score some points against visiting Enterprise High School on Friday night.
They just had one problem in the first half they couldn't get their hands on the ball.
After running only 11 offensive plays for 46 total yards in the first half, West Lauderdale exploded for 21 third-quarter points on the way to a 49-13 win.
But that changed in the second half, as WL held Enterprise without a first down until the Bulldogs last drive of the game.
Despite being outgained in total yardage and only have three first downs to nine for EHS at the half, the Knights held a 15-7 and got the ball to open the third quarter.
That's not exactly how it turned out, but McCain wasn't about to change the results.
WL fullback Scott Truesdale took a hand off on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and barreled up the middle for a 50-yard touchdown.
Michael Pogue booted the extra point to put the Knights up 22-7.
After the West Lauderdale defense knocked Enterprise back seven yards on three plays, the Knights took over at their own 46-yard line after the punt. WL moved the ball 54 yards on eight plays, scoring on a 7-yard pass from Austin Davis to Dameon Baylor with 6:21 left in the third quarter. Pogue's kick made it 29-7.
The Knights defense again held, giving the offense the ball at the EHS 42. West marched in for a touchdown on nine plays with Davis passing to Brock Mosley for a 9-yard score. The kick made it 36-7.
The game did not begin so easily for the Knights, who are now 2-1 on the season.
Enterprise, now 1-2, took the opening kickoff and put together a beautiful eight-play, 80-yard drive to score on a 5-yard run by sophomore runningback Curtis Latney. The kick by Wade Weathers put the Bulldogs up 7-0 with 8:09 to play.
It looked as if the visitors were about to go up by two touchdowns in the first quarter.
West Lauderdale fumbled the ball on its first play from scrimmage, and Michael Dow recovered it for EHS. The Bulldogs took over at the WL 46 and worked it down to the 9-yard line where they had a first-and-goal.
But WL came up with a big quarterback sack that pushed the Bulldogs back to the 21. Two plays later EHS turned the ball over on downs on the 28.
The Knights then answered by moving the ball 72 yards on seven plays to score on a beautiful 20-yard pass play from Austin Davis to Cory Williams.
He certainly should have had confidence in Williams who made a fingertip catch along the left sideline on an a corner pattern and then raced into the end zone.
Pogue's kick tied the game at 7-7 with 26.5 seconds left in the first quarter.
West Lauderdale's only other first-half score came on an odd play.
Enterprise punted the ball into one of it's up backs on a fourth-down play and Justin Landrum came up with the blocked put and returned it 26 yards for a score. Truesdale scored the two-point conversion on a swinging gate play to put the Knights up 15-7 with 8:55 left in the half.
WL added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns on a 24-yard run by Baylor and a 13-yard run by Donathan Fortner.
EHS' last touchdown came on a 72-yard run by Latney, who finished the night with 133 rushing yards on 18 plays.
Baylor had 74 rushing yards on 15 carries for WL, while Truesdale had 72 yards on four carries. Davis was 5-of-5 passing for 78 yards and three touchdowns.