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West Fork apparently came into last Friday’s game against Green Forest with the game plan of clogging up the running lanes and forcing Green Forest to throw the ball.
No problem. Senior quarterback Mason Meador threw two touchdown passes to junior Gabe Serna — the second on a fourth-down play with less than four minutes left in the game — and the Green Forest defense did the rest in a 12-0 victory over West Fork.
Meador completed five of 10 passes for 95 yards, including three completions to Serna for 63 yards. That helped Green Forest overcome a West Fork defense geared to slow down Green Forest senior running back Ridge Gordon-Swofford, who gained 86 yards on 24 carries.
“They did a good job of taking Ridge away,” Green Forest coach Greg Tibbitt said. “That was their whole point. We were trying to find other things to work, and it felt like it clicked there in the second half.”
Green Forest scored the game’s first points when Meador found Serna for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 6:18 remaining in the third quarter. Meador placed the pass between two West Fork defenders.
“I didn’t think there was any way he could fit that in,” Tibbitt said. “It was unreal.”
The second touchdown throw to Serna came on a fourthand- 4 play from the West Fork 30 with 3:16 left in the fourth quarter and Green Forest still clinging to a 6-0 lead. Serna lined up in the slot and was left uncovered by the West Fork defense.
Tibbitt said Serna was not the primary receiver on the play.
“They just lost Gabe and Mason found him,” Tibbitt said. “Mason was just going through his checkdown. That’s just him growing in the system.”
Defensively, Green Forest recorded its first shutout since it beat Riverview 28-0 in a playoff game in 2013. Junior Colton Fancher led the Green Forest defense with 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Senior Brityn Gilliam added nine tackles and an interception.
Fancher moved to linebacker against West Fork after spending his sophomore season at defensive end.
“We moved him to linebacker this week and he played really well,” Tibbitt said.
Sophomore Jace Meador came up big for the Green Forest defense, Tibbitt said.
“The one that doesn’t stand out on the stats is Jace Meador,” Tibbitt said. “Jace Meador played incredible defensively, just setting the edge so (Fancher) could scrape over the top and make those tackles.”
Gilliam also drew praise.
“He’s flying around on defense,” Tibbitt said. “He’s our leader on defense. He gets us lined up. He makes the calls in the secondary. And he’s making big plays on offense when we need him. He had eight or nine tackles again, an interception. He’s playing really well his senior year.”
Green Forest has an open date this week before returning to action Sept. 20 with a road game at Greenland.
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