Vanguard rolls past Forest to continue rivalry dominance

Vanguard sophomore quarterback Terrance Lewis tossed three touchdown passes and senior Josiah Farmer rushed for a touchdown and returned an interception for a score to lead the Knights to a 44-2 win over rival Forest at Mikey Kelly Stadium on Friday night.

The one-sided victory, its ninth in a row, improved Class 4A Vanguard to an impressive 9-1 on the season. The Knights, who have a week off before beginning postseason play, have not lost to the Wildcats since 2010.

“That was a great way to finish the regular season,” said Vanguard veteran coach Edwin Farmer. “We wanted to play well, get the win and get out of here healthy, and we were able to do that. Getting out of here without any major injuries was the most important thing. We finished the regular season strong and now we can get ready for the next season.”

The game began in odd fashion as Forest was forced to punt on its opening possession and the punt was muffed but recovered by Vanguard on its three. On first down, senior King James was tackled in the end zone resulting in a safety and a quick 2-0 lead for the Wildcats.

Vanguard forced a Forest punt and marched 57 yards in 10 plays with Farmer finding the end zone from six yards out. The extra point by Jaxson Lee gave the Knights a 7-2 lead.

The Forest offense struggled to find any consistency against a quick and swarming Vanguard defense and was forced to punt. A short kick gave Vanguard excellent field position at the Wildcats’ 36-yard line. Lewis dropped back and found Gerald Lawton III open down the left sideline for a 36-yard scoring strike. Lee booted the point after to put the Knights up by a score of 14-2 late in the first quarter.

Forest went nowhere and after a short punt, Vanguard took possession at the Wildcats’ 47. Lewis, who only played the first half, found James open in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown pass. The point after made it 21-2.

Vanguard extended its lead when Tillman King ran up the middle behind excellent blocking on a six-yard touchdown run. The extra point gave the Knights a commanding 28-2 lead at the half.

Forest tried a surprise onside kick to open the second half, but Vanguard wasn’t fooled and recovered the ball on the Wildcats’ 47. Backup quarterback Matthew Dial came in to replace Lewis and showed that he can throw the ball with a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior Brenden Barber. The point after was no good to leave the Knights with a 34-2 lead.

Forest tried a short passing attack, but the Vanguard defense was up to the task as Farmer picked off an errant pass and returned it down the sideline for a 27-yard pick six. The extra point by Lee made it 41-2 midway through the third period. A running clock was used for the remainder of the contest.

The final scoring of the game was a 35-yard field goal by Lee to account for the margin of victory.

For Class 6A Forest, which finished the season with a 2-8 record with a young and inexperienced roster, the offseason will be key to fielding an improved team next year.

“I’m proud we had the lead for a little while,” said Forest coach Eoghan Cullen. “They (Vanguard) have played a lot of really good teams that didn’t score on them. The boys played hard and didn’t quit and as a coach that’s all you can ask for. We’re a very young group of ballplayers and I’m excited for the future of Forest football. I love the kids, that’s why I’m here.”

Vanguard has a bye next week which is being used for makeup games that were postponed because of Hurricane Helene. The Knights will use the off week to practice and continue to get healthy.

“We’ll practice and work on some things this week,” coach Farmer said. “The only thing I’m missing in that trophy case is a state championship and we’re five wins away from winning one. We have to be focused because there’s here’s no room for mistakes in the playoffs and you have to be a little lucky as well.”