Forest burns SEL
By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
Sept. 19, 2004
The fans weren't the only ones who felt the heat at Southeast Lauderdale on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Forest High School quarterback Keith Brown threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns all in the first half as the visiting Bearcats rolled to a 55-0 win over Southeast Lauderdale in the Division 5-3A opener for both teams.
While Brown completed big pass after big pass against a blitzing Southeast defense, it was Forest wide receiver Michael Townsend who stole the show. The junior caught seven passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns and returned an interception 45 yards for another score.
Southeast fell to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in division play, while Forest is now 4-0 and 1-0.
The biggest task for Southeast, which played hard throughout the game despite being outmanned, is to shake off this loss and get ready for Friday's key division home game against Carthage.
Trahan said his team still has playoff aspirations but has to be ready to play on Friday.
While Brown did pass for big yardage early, it didn't necessarily come easy.
The first two Bearcats scoring drives covered 80 and 93 yards, respectively.
Forest took the opening kickoff and after a touchback, took 10 snaps before scoring on a 28-yard pass from Brown to Tremaine Bowie with 8:21 to go in the first quarter. The kick failed.
Forest began its next possession at its own seven-yard line, but nine plays later Townsend hauled in a 13-yard scoring pass on third-and goal with 1:01 to go in the first quarter. Gray LaPrade's kick made it 13-0.
The SEL defense came up big on Forest's next possession forcing the Bearcats to turn the ball over on the Tigers 27. But two plays later, Townsend made the biggest defensive play of the game.
Southeast quarterback Drew Harper made a nice pass over the middle on second-and-two, but the ball bounced off a receiver's hands and into the waiting arms of Townsend, who then raced 45 yards for the score behind a convoy of blockers.
The kick by LaPrade made it 20-0.
The Bearcats ran their lead to 34-0 at the half on second-quarter touchdowns on a 21-yard pass from Brown to Townsend and a 7-yard pass from Brown to Marcel Wash.
Things didn't get much better for Southeast in the second half, as Forest scored on its first play from scrimmage in the third quarter when Courtney Blaylock blasted up the middle for a 51-yard scoring run. LaPrade's kick made it 41-0 with 9:12 left in the quarter.
Forest closed out the scoring with a 1-yard run by Charles Hayes in the third quarter and a 9-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter by James Earl Smith.
One of the highlights for Southeast was the strong second-half running by Aaron Larkin, who finished the day with 41 rushing yards on seven carries.
