Clarkdale faces key game minus two running backs

By Staff
October 21, 2004
from staff reports
The Clarkdale Bulldogs will most likely be without two of their top running backs Friday night when they visit Kemper County.
Cedric Burns is still troubled with a shoulder separation, and Chris Sirven is recovering from a concussion he suffered during last week's game with Philadelphia.
But Bulldogs coach Jud Gartman said his team will go with the ones who can play, and the coaching staff has made the necessary adjustments.
"Man, we are banged up right now," Gartman said. "But we'll just have to keep going. This is a big game for both teams."
Sirven rushed for 186 yards against Philadelphia last week and rambled for more than 200 yards against Lake earlier this season.
"We didn't realize he was hurt," Gartman said of the Philly game. "He doesn't remember a thing that happened in the second half, and that's kind of scary. We will be holding him out this week to give him some time to recover."
Lamegtrius Forbes, who has spent most of the season playing linebacker, has been converted to a fullback. He will be joined in the backfield by running backs Jack Norton and Chris Skinner.
Clarkdale comes into the game with a 2-7 overall record, and a 2-1 Division 5-2A mark. The Bulldogs lost a tough 35-17 game last week to Philadelphia, while Kemper County dropped to 2-7 with a 21-6 loss to Lake.
"Kemper County has an outstanding quarterback and some good running backs," Gartman said. "They are very quick. They run out of the split backfield in a pro-set and they do a lot of dives. Stopping the dive concerns me the most about this team."
The Bulldogs' linebacking corps will play a big role in that task, led by Taji Forbes, Jeremy Street and Norton. Last week, Forbes led the team in tackles with 11.
Should Clarkdale win its last two games against Kemper County and Newton High School, the Bulldogs would finish second in the Division 5-2A standings and would host a playoff game.
"That has been our goal this season," Gartman said.
The game kicks off at 7 p.m.
Steve Swogetinsky
West Lauderdale needs some traction.
Since starting the season 3-1, the Knights (5-3) have lost two of their last four games, including a 27-16 loss to undefeated Forest on Friday. Now, with only two games remaining in the regular season, West Lauderdale will try to establish some momentum against Morton (4-4) on Friday before heading into the playoffs.
But Morton is just as desperate to rediscover its early-season success. Morton began the season 4-1, but has since lost three straight and is at risk of falling below .500.
The Panthers have been close in all three losses, though. On Oct. 1, Prentiss mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to beat Morton by six. A week later, Newton County topped the Panthers with another fourth-quarter rally.
Morton's last three losses have come by an average of just three points.
The Panthers are led offensively by quarterback Shay Hodge, who has produced 14 touchdowns this season six on the ground, five through the air and three as a receiver.
Will Bardwell
A 24-21 win at Morton last week has put the Southeast Lauderdale Tigers right back in the playoff hunt in Division 5-3A. Of the league's seven members, only Choctaw Central at 0-4 can be counted out with two weeks remaining before the playoffs.
Southeast is 2-3 in 5-3A and 4-4 overall coming into Friday's game at Decatur against Newton County. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Cougar Stadium.
The Cougars improved to 3-1 in the league and 4-3 overall with a 14-0 shutout at Carthage last week. A win over Southeast or at Choctaw Central next week would wrap up second place in the division for Newton County.
Southeast would improve to 3-3 in the league with a win, but would need to avoid a tie with either West Lauderdale or Carthage for fourth place as the Tigers would lose out on the head-to-head tiebreaker.
"They've gotten better every week," Newton County head coach Jeff Breland said of Southeast and first-year head coach Ty Trahan. "They've always had decent skill people and this year is no exception.
"They've got a wideout (Chris Gordon) that can play. The quarterback (Drew Harper) is a good athlete that can throw the ball well. This is the third year we've faced him.
"And they've got some good running backs (Aaron Larkin, Brandon Latham, Marcus Walker, and Tyler McMullen)."
Newton County holds a 7-5 series advantage.
Marty Stamper
Scoring may become a rare commodity in tonight's game between Northeast Lauderdale and Mendenhall.
Mendenhall (2-6) has scored less than 10 points in three of its eight games, including a 12-0 loss to Wayne County on Friday, and Northeast Lauderdale (2-6) has scored 20 or more points just three times in its last six games.
But Mendenhall's defense makes it more suited to low-scoring affairs. Mendenhall allowed Wayne County its lowest points total of the season and was the first team to keep Wayne County's offense out of the end zone in 2004.
The Trojans' leading rusher, quarterback Maurice Langston, could face one of his stiffest challenges yet against Mendenhall's defense, which has yielded just two rushing touchdowns in its last four games.
Will Bardwell