[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
| West lineman Zach Bowman brings down the Carver quarterback. |
Attempting to stop two — without the services of an all-star linebacker — is a nightmare.
The West Forsyth defense had the misfortune of enduring the latter of those two scenarios last Friday night. Matched up against a Carver backfield that features all-conference candidates Bryce Sherman and Rasaun Brown, the Titans — who played without standout linebacker John Stamper — surrendered over 250 rushing yards and fell to the hosting Yellowjackets 21-15. The loss dropped West’s record to 1-2 while Carver improved to 2-1.
“This was a disappointing loss because we didn’t finish things off when we had the chance,” mentioned Luke Elliott, a senior defensive leader who set up the game’s first score by recovering a fumbled punt. “Carver has a very good team and we knew it was going to be a tough game. Overall, I thought we played fairly well and our level of intensity was good. But we have to start making sure that we finish strong on every play.”
Lending credence to Elliott’s point was a 62-yard run by Sherman that led to Carver’s first score. Trailing 7-0 after West’s Dedrick Anderson found paydirt from 15 yards out and Landon Thayer drilled the extra point, the Yellowjackets got the big play they were looking for on the ensuing drive. Taking a handoff at the Carver 37-yard line, Sherman — a speedy 5-6 junior running back — bounced off tacklers on the right side, reversed field and sprinted around the left side all the way down to the West one-yard line. Brown then forced his way into the end zone and a subsequent extra point kick evened the score at 7-7.
Carver took a six-point lead after a Titan turnover in the third quarter and then expanded that margin to 14 with several strong runs on a scoring drive that opened the fourth.
Paced by the passing connection of quarterback Maurice Hughes to receiver Andrew Bodenheimer, West responded well to the 14-point deficit. The Titans immediately drove 77 yards and posted their second TD of the night when Hughes tossed a pass to Bodenheimer for an eight-yard score. On the extra point attempt, Bodenheimer hit Hughes with a pass in the left corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion that narrowed the gap to 21-15.
On the ensuing Carver drive, the Titan defense delivered a huge play when Carter Lemmerman recovered a fumble at the Yellowjacket 30. But four plays later, Carver recovered a Titan fumble and then, relying on their ground attack, consumed the final five minutes of the game to nail down the win.
“We put the ball on the ground a couple of times in the second half and it cost us,” mentioned West head coach Chip Petree. “But as bitter as this loss and the Parkland loss have been, we are learning from our mistakes. We’re playing a very tough nonconference schedule and these games will help us down the road.”
This Friday West will host the Reagan Raiders. Reagan (0-2) fell to Atkins 14-6 last week.
“I’ve studied Reagan on film and they are much-improved from last year,” Petree concluded. “They’re bigger up front than we are and have a bunch of seniors.
“Our job will be to stay focused and bounce back.”