Heading into their most recent matchup this past week, Kingsbury and Kirby had different agendas. The Falcons of Kingsbury entered the game winless, wanting to be competitive and delivering an effort that showed its players gave their best efforts on every play.
Kirby’s Cougars did not want a repeat of the previous week – a 52-46 upset loss at home Brighton. The loss to a team that had been winless team knocked the Cougars out of a first-place tie in the super competitive 5A division of Region 8. With only five weeks left in the season, every week now is critical.
The Cougars smashed the Falcons 52-0 and wasted no time in getting started. Junior running back Marshun Douglas had a field day at the expense of the Falcons. He rushed for 130 yards and 4 touchdowns and had 2 receptions for 17 yards and 2 touchdowns. The six-touchdown effort had Kirby h
“He is a special player and works so hard. He has tremendous work ethic day in and day out. He is prepared for these moments. So we expect that from him every week, because we know we can ride him. He carries us as a team,” Kirby’s head coach Chester Flowers said.
Flowers said the Cougars played Kirby football.
“We wanted to execute on both sides of the ball….The kids played with a lot of effort and they flew to the football.”
Cougars’ junior quarterback Jaden Johnson is not playing at 100 percent. He has a slight hamstring injury that is limiting his production. He is being recruited by several major schools, including Louisvile and the University of Memphis.
The Cougars made a major staff change prior to the game, with Marcus Slaughter, who was already on the staffe, named the new defense coordinator.
“The players are enjoying the new system,” Flowers said. “We have simplified things and I think it is going to benefit us in the end.”
Falcons head coach Katarii Donald head coach noted that his players made a lot of mistakes.
“Being young is hard, but we have got to make better preparations in order to get these guys in better situations where they won’t make mistakes. We have a lot of guys injured, but yet and still, if those guys make some simple adjustments we will get a little bit better every week.”
Ndayambaje John started the game at quarterback. At the beginning of the year, he was in the running back position, but injuries to the starting quarterbacks forced the shift.John into his new position.
“He is actually making some plays and he is getting better, but he is not consistent,” Donald said. “We have got to keep working him in practice; keep putting him in those types of situations and I think he will help us out as the weeks go on.”
Kingsbury fell to 0-6 on the season and will look to get their first win when they host Brighton at Melrose Stadium on Sept. 29.
Kirby improved to 4-2 and to 2-1 in district play. The Cougars will play Bolton on September 29.
