By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
Oct. 15, 2004
Veteran West Lauderdale head football coach Stan McCain knows his Knights will have their hands full when Forest High School pays a visit tonight at 7.
Much has been written about Forest's potent offense led by quarterback Keith Brown and wide receiver Michael Townsend, but McCain points out that the defense isn't too shabby either.
Six of the Bearcats seven wins have been by 21 points or more, with the 14-10 win over Newton County two weeks ago being Forest's only real close call.
Forest goes into tonight's key Division 5-3A contest 3-0 in league play with games against Morton and Choctaw Central left to play.
A win by West Lauderdale would set up the possibility of a three-way tie for the title, just like it was last year, when the Knights, Bearcats and Newton County all finished at 5-1.
This year Forest has already beaten Newton County, while Newton County beat West Lauderdale.
West, 5-2 overall and 2-1 in league play, already has division wins over Southeast Lauderdale (34-20) and Choctaw Central (21-0). The Knights still have league games with Morton and Carthage on their schedule.
Forest leads the all-time series against West Lauderdale 7-2. The Bearcats won last year's game 21-10, but the Knights beat Forest 55-22 in the 2001 playoffs, snapping a six-game losing streak to the Bearcats.
In the nine games, the closest margin of victory was the 11 points seperating the teams in 2003. Four of Forests' wins have come by 40 points or more.
McCain said most of his defensive players have recovered from bangs and bruises they suffered earlier in the year and should be ready for the game, but he does not expect starting tailback Dameon Baylor (shoulder) to be able to play.