Performances by Thomas Olive and special teams highlighted Kosciusko's 42-21 victory over Forest, ending the the non-region part of the Whippets' schedule with a 4-1 record.
Kosciusko had a season high 397 yards and Olive accounted for more than half of the total, carrying 25 times for 179 yards and catching one pass for 22 yards.
The special teams contributed a punt return and a kickoff return for TDs.
Tyan Mosley staked the Whippets to a 7-0 lead in the second quarter with a punt return. He had another punt return for a TD nullified by a penalty.
A pass from Caden Greer to Kedrick Woodard just before halftime made it 14-0. Greer's second scoring pass to Derrick Manning made it 21-0 in the third quarter. Forest scored the next two TDs, the second on an interception return, to cut the lead to 21-14.
Any momentum Forest had at that point was quickly erased when Jaquavous Pace took the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a score. “That was a big swing in the game,” said Kosciusko coach Casey Orr.
The Whippets added two fourth quarter TDs on runs by Olive and Lee Wade. Forest scored on a pass on the final play of the game against Kosciusko subs.
Alexis Hernandez was six fr six on PATs.
The only negative was that Kosciusko failed to score three times in the first half after reaching the Red Zone. “We left a lot of points on the field,” Orr said. “That's something we have to get better at. We just haven't turned the corner on that.”
He added “All in all, we had some good things happen offensively.”
Greer was nine of 16 passing for 169 yards, with two TDs and one interception. Wade was the leading receiver with five for 73 yards and he carried six times for 31 yards.
The defense was led by tackle Reggie Carter, with seven tackles including three for losses and two sacks, linebacker Javen Mallett, with 13 tackles, and freshman defensive back Keith Lay, with 11 tackles, one for a loss.
“Reggie is Reggie. He plays well every Friday night,” Orr said.
The Whippets begin Region 4-4A play Friday for homecoming against Choctaw Central. The Warriors dropped their opening game to Union 32-22, but won three in a row, 30-20 over Cherokee of North Carolina, 26-6 against Nanih Waiya and 12-6 over Lake, prior to having a bye last week.
Orr said Choctaw Central is big up front with a run oriented offense. “Offensively, they are similar to Forest. I think they execute it a little better than Forest. We will have to come out and match their physicality. We aren't quite as big as they are. We're not as big as anybody we play.”
Having a bye can be an advantage, Orr said, if a team is banged up and needs time to heal. But, he said, “I've never been a big fan of having a bye, especially when you are playing well. You want to keep playing. Keep the ball rolling in the right direction.”
The most important thing, he said, is that it's the first Region 4-4A game. “Everybody is 0-0.”
The Whippets defeated the Warriors 35-20 last year.
