MERIDIAN —
The West Lauderdale Knights brought out their power game Friday night in Collinsville to put away the Panthers of Morton 24-13.
The win moves the Knights to 2-3 on the season while Morton dropped to 1-3.
After seeing the Panthers scratch back to within striking distance early in the fourth quarter when sophomore running Michael Polk, who finished the night with 120 yards and a touchdown, scampered in from 6 yards out to pull Morton to within 18-13 of the Knights. That is when West Lauderdale decided the time was ripe to unleash Jarkeith Ruffin, the senior who doubles as a linebacker and a short yardage, tough-running specialist.
Ruffin took the Knights on his shoulders and ran the ball six out of eight plays through a determined Morton defense bent on stopping the Knight offense and getting one more crack at winning the game. But Ruffin and company were able to milk the clock while at the same time adding an insurance score by Noah Nix, who slashed in from 12 yards out with just seconds remaining in the game.
West Lauderdale stopped Morton on the Panther's first possession of the game and with the aid of two personal foul penalties, drove down to the Morton 3-yard line. Knight QB Tyler Turnage found Ladarius McCoy to complete the 3-yard pass play for the first West score. The two-point conversion try failed and the Knights had a 6-0 lead.
After exchanging possessions, the Knights struck again. This time Turnage, who finished 9 of 12 with three touchdown tosses and 130 yards, found Nix out of the backfield with a short pass he turned into a 37-yard score. The PAT was no good but the Knights had extended their lead to 12-0.
Morton quarterback Jymier Slocum began to use his tall, lanky receivers as he engineered a 10-play, 63-yard scoring drive capped by Devonta Jones' 14-yard catch into the end zone. J.T. O'Cain's PAT was good and Morton had pulled to within 12-7 at the half.
The defenses ruled much of the third quarter until the Knights went on an eight-play, 64-yard scoring drive. Turnage found Sydai Lewis behind the cornerback for a 41-yard TD pitch and catch. With 2:30 left in the third quarter West Lauderdale had extended their lead again 18-7.
But Morton wouldn't go away as Polk went in from 6 yards out to pull the Panthers close at 18-13.
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Knights power past Panthers
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