Furies are facing a major obstacle in second round

Credit: Journal File Photo

Coach Mark Moroz and his Forsyth Country Day football team face defending champion Concord First Assembly tonight.

By: Mason Linker | JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: November 13, 2009

Forsyth Country Day is one win away from playing for the NCISAA's Division II state championship, but that win will be tough to come by.

FCD (8-3) will play at Concord First Assembly (11-0) in a semifinal game tonight. First Assembly, the defending state champion, had only one close game all season, a 26-16 win over FCD on Oct. 9.

"We do have a shot, but it will be our toughest game of the year by far," Coach Mark Moroz of FCD said.

While FCD is nearing the end of its playoff road, two other area teams -- Ledford and North Forsyth -- will start the postseason tonight with first-round games in the NCHSAA's Class 3-A playoffs.

North (5-6) will be at home against Harrisburg Hickory Ridge (6-5) in Class 3-AA West, and Ledford (6-5) will be at home against China Grove Carson (6-5) in Class 3-A East.

FCD has won four straight since losing to First Assembly -- a game the Furies played without Seth Constable, their standout running back -- and has scored at least 36 points in its last three games.

FCD's defense will have to stop running back Tony Moore of First Assembly, who averages 180 yards a game and ran for 200 against FCD in the first meeting.

"He is a small kid but extremely powerful, and he can carry the line," Moroz said. "We have to secure him, and his biggest thing is the yards he gets after contact. We have to make sure we wrap up, and we are not diving at his feet so he can avoid us."

North Forsyth and Ledford will have similar defensive strategies -- stop the run. North will key on running back Brian Baltimore of Hickory Ridge (150 yards a game), and Ledford will key on Shaun Warren of Carson (160 yards a game).

"That guy can get them 20, 40, 60 yards," Coach Pete Gilchrist of North said of Baltimore. "We haven't played too many big tailbacks. He's a bigger back to tackle and can move the chains. He has enough speed to go the distance also. Are they willing to rely on the running game and not call passes and mix it up?"

Coach Chuck Henderson of Ledford said that his offense also needs balance.

"We want balance, not throwing it 30 times and running it 30 times, but balanced as far as yardage," Henderson said. "We know play-action pass has been big for us and throwing the quick stuff. In two of last four games, we have had to pass to set up the run and we will do that if that's what we have to do."