Sports Editor

For the better part of the week Patriots’ head coach DeWight Ward said his team was enthusiastic about practice, following last Thursday night’s pounding of Greenville Academy 40-7.

"Then I showed them the tape of Meadowview and that sort of took a little out of them," Ward said.

No doubt Pike Lib will have their hands full come tonight against Coach Tommy Wasden’s Meadowview team. The Trojans average around 230-pounds along the offensive and defensive front and they have 13 seniors on this year’s squad.

Coming off of a 1-9 season last year, the Trojans defeated Tuscaloosa Academy handily in the first game of the season, beat a ranked Glenwood team 28-20 and suffered their first set back last week at the hands of Lowndes Academy 22-21.

Ward said the Trojans possess good speed in the backfield and he expects Wasden to attack his young defense with a split back, option attack.

"As big as their offensive line is, we’re not going to go head-to-head with them," he said. "We’re going to have to take chances on defense."

Last week against GA those chances payed off big, with the Patriots’ defense forcing six turnovers.

"We’re going to be sort of reckless on defense," Ward said. "We might give up the big play, but then again we might make a big play as well. I think a lot of the turnovers we got against Greenville Academy had to do with the weather."

Ward said starting quarterback Layton Sanders was again questionable for tonight’s game. Sanders missed the GA game with a bruised hip.

"Layton might play, but he’s still not 100 percent," Ward said. "And defensive end Jared Waldrop (ankle) is still out."

If Sanders is unable to go, Ward said sophomore Drew Kilpatrick would start again.

"He’s still learning," Ward said. "But we’ll limit the offense for him and focus more on our running game."

Last week PLAS running backs Bill Hughes and Scott Kirby combined for 330 rushing yards on 35 carries.