FOOTBALL FRIDAY: Tigers vs. Prairie View -- Both teams 3-1 coming into game

Friday, October 3, 2014

By Scott Nuzum, Tribune Sports Editor

This may be the first time in the history of the Fort Scott High football series with Prairie View that both teams come into a meeting with winning records. Both are 3-1 going into tonight's non-league battle which is also Fort Scott's Homecoming game.

Fort Scott bounced back from a tough loss to Pittsburg the week before to rally past Coffeyville, 46-42, last Friday night at Frary Field. The 88 combined points made it the fifth-highest scoring game in school history, the first four being much-more lopsided in favor the Tigers.

Prairie View suffered its first loss last week, a 42-32 verdict against Ottawa, which is also 3-1. The Buffalos' first three games resulted in a 3-0 OT victory over Wellsville in the season opener, a 41-7

Prairie View was 2-7 in 2013 but brought back eight starters on both sides of the ball this season. Among them are quarterback/safety Shawn Ackerson (5' 11", 175, Sr.), fullback/linebacker Will Holland (5' 9", 175, Sr.) and tailback/linebacker Cordell Dunlap (5' 11, 185, Sr.) Ackerson threw for 765 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and his two favorite receivers from last season -- senior Blake Barnes (6' 1", 210) and junior Trent Phelps (6' 1", 165) -- also return. They combined for 37 receptions, 604 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. There are also three starters who returned on the offensive line: center Ted Chambers (6' 1", 265, Sr.), guard Dylan Rice (5' 8", 195, Sr.) and tackle Jacob Victor (6' 5", 215, Sr.).

NOTES -- Since this version of the series -- with the high school known as "Prairie View" instead of "LaCygne" -- began in 2000, the Buffalos have scored just one touchdown in four games. They've been outscored 169-7. Even if the two games from 1919 and 1922 are included, Fort Scott has outscored LaCygne/Prairie View 204-26...

The Southeast Kansas League scoring leaders list is on page 12. On it, readers may notice:

* Chase Brown moved up into a tie for fifth on the list after scoring three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion in last week's game. Brown now has 4 TDs and a 2-pointer for a total of 26 points, tied with Coffeyville's Destin Downing.

* Brody Southwell moved pass Labette County's Missy Dantic as the second-leading kicker in the SEK. Southwell has kicked 3 field goals and 10 extra points for a total of 19. Dantic has 3 field goals and 6 extra points for a total of 15. Each are the only players to make more than one field goal this season. However, Pittsburg's Nick Powers moved ahead of both in total points with 22 after kicking 9 extra points and a field goal last week in a rout of Chanute....