By Staff
Last week, the Knights struggled with a 1-5 Southeast Lauderdale team before finally winning 14-6. McCain said the offense moved the ball well but was hampered by an unexpected problem penalties.
The Knights have relied on their strong defense all season opponents average less than eight points per game and will face a team on Friday night that has done the same. The Tigers have had two shutouts, the most recent being a 22-0 win over Kemper County on Sept. 26.
Newton also has a running game that McCain said will keep his defense on its toes.
West Lauderdale has won four straight since a 7-6 loss to Philadelphia on Sept. 5, but McCain said his team cannot afford to let newfound success go to its head.
SE Lauderdale
at Choctaw Central
Southeast Lauderdale is not winning yet, but head coach Dwane Taylor knows the Tigers are close.
On Friday, Southeast Lauderdale held West Lauderdale scoreless in the first half before eventually losing 14-6. It is the closest any team has come to beating the Knights since Philadelphia succeeded on Sept. 5.
The problem for Southeast Lauderdale has been its offense. Since posting a season-high 25 points in a Sept. 11 win over Clarkdale, the Tigers have scored only 22 points in their last three games.
Southeast Lauderdale's offensive woes in recent weeks have stemmed from from mental errors.
If the Tigers can overcome those problems, they may be able to find success against Choctaw Central. The Warriors are 3-3, but opponents are scoring an average of just over 20 points per game.
Taylor said Choctaw Central's offense is similar to West Lauderdale, and that the Tigers defense will be called upon to slow down a powerful running attack from the Warriors.
Clarkdale
at Williams-Sullivan
After a 20-14 win over Lake for it first victory of the season on Friday, Clarkdale looks to stay undefeated in division play as the Bulldogs meet Williams-Sullivan in Durant.
The Bulldogs, 1-5 overall but 1-0 in division play, could take a big step toward earning a playoff berth with a win over Williams-Sullivan.
The Yellowjackets are 3-3 after losing their district opener 26-14 at Kemper County on Friday. Williams-Sullivan needs a win against Clarkdale to keep its own postseason hopes alive.