WS Chronicle

BY CRAIG T. GREENLEE

FOR THE CHRONICLE

In a much-anticipated match-up of top contenders in junior varsity football, West Forsyth continued its trek down victory lane. This time, the end result produced a workmanlike 21-6 road victory over Mount Tabor on last Thursday.

The Titans, now 7-0, were held far below their scoring average of 38.2 points per game. In this case, it didn’t matter because the defense had its best outing of the season. West Forsyth kept Mount Tabor off the scoreboard until midway through the fourth quarter.

Coach Jared Eure of West Forsyth was elated with the outcome and applauded his team’s execution on both sides of the football. Even so, he declined to agree that his defense came up with its best performance this fall.

For the game, the Titans had four quarterback sacks (three by Alexander Garrett) and two interceptions (Davis Bishop and KeAndre Buyna).

“Was it our best? I’m not sure,” said Eure about a defensive unit that gave up an average of 23.2 points over the first six games of the season. “Up until late in the game, we had a shut-out going. But, we always think in terms of improving from one week to the next. So, we’re looking for the next game [at Reagan on today, Oct. 22] to be the best we’ve played.”

West Forsyth’s offense suffered an early setback when running back Mack Duke suffered a lower leg injury on the second play from scrimmage. Duke, one of the team’s leading rushers, never returned.

With Duke out of commission, Kenyar McPhatter, who usually splits time in the backfield with Duke, got most of the carries and responded nicely with over 100 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Quarterback Drew Latham took advantage of the Spartans defense, keying on McPhatter and scored twice on short runs in the red zone.

“We’ve got a stable of running backs, so it was good to see Kenyar step up the way he did,” said Eure. “Drew really came through for us at quarterback. He kept his composure and controlled the game.”

West Forsyth opened the scoring with a sustained drive late in the first quarter. McPhatter scored from two yards out and Christian Kaplan kicked the PAT conversion. The Titans led 7-0 at the half.

Mount Tabor (4-3) had two trips inside West Forsyth’s 25-yard line in the first half, but came away empty. As things turned out, the night proved to be somewhat of an offensive nightmare. In addition to not converting scoring opportunities, the Spartans had two touchdowns called back in the second half because of penalties.

“Not taking care of the small details really hurt us,” said Coach Tiesuan Brown of Mount Tabor. “We were able to move the ball on them in the first half. But we just couldn’t capitalize when we got in scoring position and that cost us.”

The Titans began to pull away in the final minutes of the third quarter with 65-yard drive which featured runs by McPhatter and Latham along with a first-down reception by Jamon Brown. Latham scored on a five-yard run to put his team up by a couple of touchdowns.

On the ensuing kickoff, it initially appeared that Mount Tabor was back in contention. Matthew Powell reeled an 81-yard return that would’ve made it a one-possession. Instead, the Spartans were flagged for holding. To make matters worse, they were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, which put them deep in their own territory at the 10-yard line.

West Forsyth’s defense held Mount Tabor to a three-and-out and forced a short punt. The Titans took over at Mount Tabor’s 32, and five plays later, Latham scored on a two-yard run.

The Spartans scored their first and only touchdown with 3:45 left to play in the game. Qumar Price broke at least three tackles on a 79-yard touchdown run.

“Our defense got a little tired and started missing tackles [in the second half],” said Brown. “When you face a team like West Forsyth who has all those offensive weapons, that’s what happens when your defense is on the field for too many plays.”