MERIDIAN —
After losing its first two games, the road only gets tougher for West Lauderdale High School, as the Knights travel to Philadelphia (2-0) tonight.
Last week head coach Stan McCain and the Knights were dealt a serious blow, as starting quarterback Richard Thomas fractured his leg trying to break a tackle against Neshoba Central. The Knights will now turn to sophomore Tyler Turnage to take over under center, as the young quarterback prepares to make his first start at the position.
“What (Thomas) brings to our offense, you just don’t replace,” McCain said. “He’s hard to tackle, one person doesn’t usually get him down. We run him a lot, and he throws a good a good ball. When he is on, he is hard to stop.”
“We have had to make adjustments this week with the loss of our quarterback. He is such a big part of our offense. We hope that adjustments are made, and I think they will be in the long run. It is just a matter of time.”
Replacing a senior quarterback is no small task, especially heading into a match up against a strong Philadelphia defense. However, McCain said he likes what he sees from Turnage and is confident with time, the young quarterback will fit in well at the position.
“He doesn’t have quite the arm that Richard (Thomas) has, but he is athletic,” McCain said. “He can run pretty well, he just doesn’t have that experience at quarterback.“
The Tornadoes will be a big test for Turnage and the Knights, as Philadelphia boasts a defense headlined by Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen member Montreal Jordan. On the other side of Jordan at cornerback is Anthony Triplett, who led the state in interceptions last season. McCain said he sees the dilemma most coaches run to when facing Philadelphia.
“Yeah, they are going to be tough,“ McCain said. “You try not to throw much at (Jordan). But, on the other side, they have (Triplett) and that’s probably the reason why he had so many interceptions last year.”
However, McCain embraces the challenge and said early tests will help get his team ready for the rest of the season.
“When you are playing against a good team like Philadelphia, they will show you were you are weak at,“ McCain said. “That is the good thing about playing good teams right now, they will expose your weaknesses and let us know what we need to improve on before district play.“
A win against Philadelphia would do wonders for the winless nights as they try to gain momentum towards district play. One thing is certain, McCain and the Knights are prepared for a rough and physical trip to Philadelphia tonight.
“It will be a tough game,“ McCain said. “It will be a smash-mouth game, hopefully we can do enough to have more than they do at the end of it.“
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