Published: November 04, 2009 10:03 am      

Whippets roll to shutout win over Houston

Two opposite forces are about to collide when the Kosciusko High School Whippets pay a visit to Shannon Friday night for the first round of the MHSAA Class 4A playoffs.

The Kosciusko defense has been stellar in the team's winning streak that was stretched to three games with a 42-0 win over Houston on Friday. But that defense is about to be tested by one of the top running backs in the state in Shannon's Keon McGaughy.

"We selected him for the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game for a reason," KHS head coach Stan McCain said of the 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior. "He is one of the better running backs in the state."

And don't think for a minute that the Red Raiders will look elsewhere for an offensive spark.

"They have got a cannon and they are going to shoot it," McCain said. "I would be the same way."

Shannon, ranked No. 3 in Class 4A by the Mississippi Prep Sports Source, dropped its first game of the season on Saturday in a 21-12 setback to No. 1-ranked Itawamba AHS.

During that game the Red Raiders ran the "Wildcat" offense often, direct snapping the ball to the versatile McGaughy.

"He is a great runner, but he can throw the ball too," McCain said. "What we are going to have to do is focus on him and let them try to beat us with somebody else."

McCain said the fact Shannon suffered is first loss of the season just last week could play into the Whippets' favor.

"It is really hard to tell how a team is going to react to something like that," he said. "With it being such a rivalry game (between Shannon and IAHS) it might take their kids a little bit longer to put that one away. That might help us a little bit."

Kosciusko goes into the game with a 5-6 record and the proud owners of a three-game winning streak.

That streak began with a solid 27-7 win over Amory, the same team that upset Louisville last week.

"That win looks even better now than it did then," McCain said. "That kind of started the little streak we've got going. Our first-team defense has just given up seven points during that streak and that has been a big plus."

The defense certainly turned the trick on Friday night, tossing the shutout at Houston.

Kosy jumped out to a 15-0 lead after one quarter of play thanks to a 4-yard touchdown run by Jamie Riley, a two-point conversion by John Kern, a 33-yard scoring jaunt by Tre Boyd and Eddie Duncan's extra point kick.

Kern scored on a short run in the second quarter to make it 22-0 at the half before Jeremy Williams found the end zone on runs of 9 and 7 yards in the third quarter. Corey Lowe closed out the scoring with an 11-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Kern rushed for 126 yards on 12 carries, while Williams had seven attempts for 85 yards.