Injuries hamper LaFayette early

The first paragraph of LaFayette’s preseason preview mentioned the importance of the Bulldogs staying healthy.

It mentioned how injuries could devastate a season with a team where many players play both ways.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, that fear is now a reality.

LaFayette entered the season with high hopes, as seven starters returned on offense and five on defense. But the blows have come often.

The first came before the season started when running back Fernando Perry was forced out due to academics. This after a promising junior season was cut short by a knee injury.

Then injuries started mounting for LaFayette as the Bulldogs have limped to a 2-3 start.

“It hasn’t been what we expected due to the fact that we’ve had so many injuries,” LaFayette head coach Ike Grant said. “If we were healthy to this point, I think we’d be in a whole lot better shape than we are.

“We haven’t been healthy the whole season.”

But LaFayette hasn’t chalked the season up as a loss. In fact, the Bulldogs enter Friday’s home contest with Class 3A-Region 3 foe Montevallo (4-1) after a 66-28 win over Class 1A Notasulga.

“The dedication is there, the kids come to practice every day and haven’t given up,” Grant said. “We’ve got the bulk of the schedule remaining, so that will be tough.

“But we’re going to keep hanging in there and see what happens.”

The Bulldogs will have their work cut out Friday with Montevallo, whose lone loss was a 38-27 defeat to unbeaten Dadeville.

But in the Bulldogs’ four wins, they have scored at least 35 points and have scored more than 40 in three of the four.

“They’re a good football team,” Grant said. “They’re not very big as far as numbers go, but out of their 27, they’ve got 15 or 20 that are great athletes that play on both sides of the ball.

“They can run it right at you and throw pretty good.”

Montevallo’s offense starts with quarterback Kevin Callender, who Grant said is very shifty and can hurt a defense running or throwing.

“If we can stop them defensively, I think we’ll have an opportunity to win,” Grant said. “We’ve got to stop the quarterback and they have a big, physical fullback and some tall receivers.

“We’re just going to have to line up and play physical football with them.”

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