West Lauderdale’s rushing attack gashed Kosciusko for 273 yards last Thursday as the Knights picked up a 41-7 road victory. School officials decided to move the scheduled Friday contest to Thursday due to the threat of inclement weather.
Ja’karius Grant rushed for a game-high 199 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries to end the contest with an 11.7 yards-per-carry average. Quarterback Eli Bryan ran for 70 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.
The Whippets played without several starters, including wide receiver Antonio Harmon, who injured his ankle on the last play of the game last week against Choctaw Central. He is expected to return to the starting lineup this week.
“I thought our kids played extremely hard,” Kosciusko coach Kelly Causey said. “One of the things I told them in pregame is to give everything they’ve got on the field. And if we come away with a victory, we do, and if we don’t, we don’t, but that’s all I can ask of you. I think the attitude of the team is we have guys who want to be out there and who want to play, and they’re going to give us 110 percent.”
Kosciusko (1-6, 0-2 Region 4-4A) committed four turnovers behind two interceptions and two fumbles.
Grant put the Knights on the scoreboard with a 53-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. West Lauderdale intercepted a pass by Kosciusko quarterback Ethan Wood later in the first period that gave the Knights first-and-10 from the Whippets’ 10-yard line.
West Lauderdale capitalized on the turnover with a 2-yard touchdown run by Bryan with 3:25 left in the opening quarter that moved the Knights ahead 14-0.
The Knights tallied their second interception of the first quarter when JJ Rowcliff picked off Wood, setting up first-and-10 for West Lauderdale at Kosciusko’s 48-yard line. Bryan rushed for another touchdown — from 37 yards out — to push his team ahead 21-0 with 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Grant rushed for a 17-yard touchdown in the third quarter. The Knights missed the extra-point try.
Kosciusko running back Kentaveus Washington returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to give the Whippets their first points of the night. Will Carter added the point after the make the score 27-7 with 9:30 left in the third period.
Grant added another 17-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and Bryan tossed a 53-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Castle in the fourth quarter to round out the Knights’ scoring.
Kosciusko fullback Damien Foster tallied 20 carries for 87 yards. Wide receiver Davion Roby had three catches for 49 yards. Wood was 9 of 15 passing for 109 yards.
Ethan Dawson paced the Whippet defense with seven tackles.
