There are two words that can summarize last week’s matchup: Freaky Friday. Last year, Lancaster gave Forney a masterclass with a 56-6 win. This year, the Jackrabbits got their revenge with a 21-20 victory. Although the win margin is significantly smaller, the implications of it are anything but. Forney started off the season coming off of a 7-4 record and being ranked 168th in the state, while Lancaster went into the season being ranked 37th in the state with a 9-3 record. However, following the theme of the beloved Mary Rodger’s novel (and its three adaptations), both schools did a complete 180 – Forney is now 6-1 and a top 40 team, while Lancaster just lost their fifth game of the season to be ranked 87th in the state. “Forney isn’t the team it used to be” is a sentiment that has been shared every week in this newspaper, but this game might have cemented it as a fact. The incredible “Darkside Defense” that boasts both team and individual statistics that are almost, if not, double the national average in every category (including sacks, passes defended, and total tackles) get a lot of the credit, but the star-powered offense, which includes sophomore running back and Division I prospect Javian Osborne who leads the team in total points with 72 and senior Kofi Eduful (another Division I prospect) who is second in the district for receiving yards with 298 and leads the team in receiving touchdowns, have made their mark as well.
Lancaster made the first move with a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Carter Jones to junior wide receiver Emmanuel Choice with 6:34 left in the first quarter. Junior kicker Andres Castro put the Tigers at 7-0, but Forney responded a minute later by senior quarterback Kyle Crawford throwing to Eduful for a touchdown. 3 minutes later, with 2:09 left in the first quarter, Osborne made a 17-yard dash for Forney’s second touchdown. Senior kicker Asher Wall was good both times, allowing the Jackrabbits to catch up and surpass the Tigers with a 14-7 scoreboard read. All seemed well for the Jackrabbits, but Lancaster didn’t seem willing to go down without a fight…and neither was Forney. Both teams failed to score any points in the second and third quarter, and Lancaster finally broke the streak when 4-star Nebraska commit and Tiger senior running back Kewan Lacy rushed for 1 yard for the six points, which Castro turned to 7. With the clock winding down to a tied score of 14-14, the teams were forced into overtime. Lacy pulled off his 1-yard touchdown move again, but Castro’s attempt at a onepoint conversion, quite literally, went left from a quick tip made by senior defensive back Joshua Gatlin. In order to win the game and live up to their new expectations, all the Jackrabbits needed was a touchdown and a good kick to be able to make up for last year’s defeat – and, as usual, the Jackrabbits did not disappoint. Eduful caught Crawford’s 11-yard pass and Wall kicked the Rabbits into a 21-20 win. Forney’s offense definitely put on a show: Eduful with 7 catches for 76 yards, Crawford with 98 yards passing and two touchdowns, and Osborne with 94 rushing yards. However, the defense didn’t fall short either with two intercepted passes, a recovered fumble, and two forced punts.
This was an expected win for Forney, with the Dallas Morning News predicting Lancaster would fall short 28-14. While the game ended up being much closer than that, it’s still a victory to be celebrated, especially when considering the context of the team and their season in comparison to past seasons. Forney’s loss to Longview last week put them at 3rd in district, but still more than eligible for that coveted state title. As a Jackrabbit student myself, there’s no shortage of belief in the team and their capabilities among the school’s halls (or walls, especially in the athletic department). This week, Forney will make the drive to Mesquite to play the North Mesquite Stallions (1-6), and expectedly, show them why they should “Fear the Jackrabbits”.
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