Section (4-2, 2-2) at West End (0-6, 0-4)
Last week’s results:
NSM 41, West End 14; Section 43, Ider 21
Last meeting: Section 28, West End 6
Series record: Tied at 2-2
By Gene Stanley/Sports Correspondent
Following season-ending injuries to the starting quarterback and his backup quarterback, West End High is trying to end a winless streak on the shoulders of a couple of 10th-grade signal-callers.
On the bright side, sophomore back Caegan Epperson ran for 249 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries last week.
Now comes Section, a team in the midst of a playoff race.
“They run the Wing-T a lot, then they spread you out,” West End coach Randy Hallmark said. “Then they put (Chris) Manning under center and that’s real scary.”
Manning is one of the premier tailbacks in Class 2A, Region 7.
For the Patriots to have a chance in this game, some long drives will be necessary.
“We’ve got to be able to grind it out and waste the clock,” Hallmark said. “And we’ve got to stay in the game early. We’ve been letting the other team get early leads and we’re not good at comebacks.”