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Amory quarterback Forest Williams leads the state and nation in passing yards with 4,507 and has 49 touchdowns on 304 of 439 attempts. (Deste Lee)
Amory coach Trent Hammond says his 10-3 team will again be facing a larger opponent, something the undersized Panthers have become accustomed to during 2011's unexpected run.
"They're a huge football team," Hammond said. "Great big guys and a humongous back everybody talks about you can't bring down."
That back is 5-foot-10, 224-pound senior Eddie McCadney.
McCadney has rushed for 1,607 yards and 19 touchdowns. Cleveland averages 212.5 yards on the ground.
"He's just a strong runner," said first-year Cleveland coach Kelly Causey. "He doesn't have breakaway speed but he hits holes hard and it takes two or three usually to bring him down."
What worries Cleveland (10-3) is Amory's passing attack, an offensive led by senior quarterback Forest Williams, who has thrown for 4,507 yards on 304 of 439 passing with 49 touchdowns. He leads the nation in passing yards.
Going wide
Two of his receivers have crossed the 1,000-yard mark.
Junior Dario Robinson leads the state in receiving with highs of 125 catches and 1,912 yards for 17 touchdowns. He is third in the nation in receiving and second in catches.
The next closest receiver in the state is Vickburg's A.J. Stamps with 77 catches.
Williams was named Southeast Player of the Week by ESPN, and not even for his state-record 646 passing yards and eight touchdowns against Cleveland division rival Gentry on Nov. 4.
He threw for 544 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-18 win at Pontotoc on Oct. 28 to win the honor.
"Anytime you face a team throwing that amount of yards and has a quarterback like they have, it's a major concern," Causey said.
Three Amory receivers, Robinson, Abaris Woodrick (1,046 yards) and Tanner Poole (902) are No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 in 4A in receiving. Devin McIntosh (702) is No. 8 and Jaylon Fair (579) is No. 12.
In all-class statistics, Robinson, Woodrick and Poole are all in the state's top 18.
An undersized Amory defense starts with a linebacking corps of Hayden Williams, Zach Khima and Jeremy Roberts. On the front, Greg Hadley is the lone big man at a mentionable amount over 200 pounds.
Also tonight:
DURANT AT VARDAMAN: The Rams will try for the third straight year to get past Durant, which is coached by former Mississippi State quarterback Sleepy Robinson.
CALHOUN CITY AT HOLLANDALE SIMMONS: The Wildcats meet Hollandale again as they try to make it back to Jackson. Calhoun beat Hollandale last year.
CHARLESTON AT KOSSUTH: The Aggies will try to stay unbeaten but must face a Charleston team that beat Aberdeen last week, a team Kossuth hasn’t been able to get past in recent years.
LOUISVILLE AT LAFAYETTE: The Wildcats were once the class of 4A football but that title belongs to Lafayette now. The Commodores carry a 29-game winning streak into the game.
STARKVILLE AT WEST POINT: A rematch of an early season matchup won by the Yellowjackets 33-12.
MARSHALL ACADEMY AT RIVER OAKS, LA.: Marshall survived in overtime last week to get Louisiana power River Oaks.