Ten fans offered a prediction to the website Scorebook Live on the Kosciusko-Lewisburg football game. Nine chose Lewisburg.
Why wouldn’t they?
Kosciusko was playing its first game of the season on the road against a 6A team that had played twice.
But it was Kosciusko that came out on top, racing to a 33-6 halftime lead on its way to a 40-12 victory.
“We got off to a great start, which was great for our young guys,” said Coach Casey Orr. “I think it was good for them to have some success early.”
The Whippets used a balanced offense and an aggressive defense that forced five turnovers and held Lewisburg to 47 yards on the ground.
Kosciusko led 12-0 after one quarter on a career-long 42-yard field goal by Will Carter, who was also five-for-five on PATs, a 28-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Wood to Davion Roby, and a safety when Lewisburg quarterback Gunner Gilmore was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone.
The Whippets broke the game open with three second-quarter touchdowns. Wood connected with Jeremy Whitcomb for an 18-yard TD, Deondre Riley returned an interception for a score, and Lee Wade caught a TD pass from backup quarterback Caden Greer.
Orr said Riley’s interception return was a big play at a time when Lewisburg was attempting to get back in the game.
“They had put together a pretty decent drive,” the coach said.
The Whippets’ final TD came on a fourth-quarter run by Wade.
Wood completed 11 of 15 passes for 134 yards. Greer, a sophomore, was two-of-two for 20 yards while running the offense for two series.
“We’re going to work him in when we can and get him as many snaps as we can,” Orr said. “He’s a kid we feel really good about down the road.”
The running game netted 183 yards. Jatavius Noel had 11 carries for 66 yards, Ceavon Tolliver 11 for 50 yards, and Wood nine carries for 34 yards. For Noel and Tolliver it was the first time they have seen significant action.
“Our O-line as a whole played well,” Orr said.
The defense recorded seven sacks, including two by Wade, and 12 tackles for losses. The other interceptions were by Whitcomb, which set up Greer’s TD pass, and Javen Mallett. Whitcomb also caused one fumble and recovered one, Eli Kemp had a fumble recovery, and Ryan Allen forced a fumble.
Gilmore completed 19 of 37 passes for 261 and both Lewisburg TDs, but most of his yardage came after Kosciusko had broken the game open.
Despite the impressive win, Orr has two concerns – game shape and complacency. Both showed once Kosciusko had taken a big lead.
“We need to be in better game shape. That will come with time,” he said, adding that the Whippets were complacent in the second half when they managed only one touchdown.
“That’s one area I would like to see us improve on, playing a full four quarters and finishing a game,” Orr said.
Kosciusko travels to Ackerman Friday for a game with Choctaw County. The Whippets played one of the best games of the season last year against the Chargers, a 35-14 victory.
“They’re a really good football team. They’re going to be a heck of a challenge.” Orr said.
Choctaw County, which dropped down to 2A this year, is 1-2 – a 35-19 loss to 3A Winona, 48-26 win over 4A South Pontotoc and a 10-8 loss to 4A Pontotoc.
“They have played an extremely tough non-conference schedule,” Orr said.
The Chargers are balanced offensively, averaging 182 yards per game through the air and 157 on the ground. Conner Jewell, a first-year starter at quarterback, has completed 22 of 34 passes for 449 yards and six TDs, with two interceptions.
Antonio Kennedy leads their ground game with 36 carries for 294 yards (8.2 average), six TDs, and two interceptions.
