Knights' Hammer Nails Down Victory

When Forestville's coaches and players considered the conditions Friday night -- cold and rainy weather, a muddy field and an undersize opponent -- they realized everything was perfect for their favorite formation.

They call it the hammer.

Running the same play over and over again, the visiting Knights (3-3) wore down Friendly (3-4) and earned an 18-6 victory, their first against the Patriots.

"This is history," Forestville senior right tackle Jamel Grant said. "We figured this was our year to get it, and we got it."

Grant was one of many players to pave the way for junior running back Rahmann Lee, who scored a touchdown and gained 150 yards on 26 carries, almost all of them out of the hammer formation.

Asked why it's called the hammer, Grant said, "Nobody can stop it." Lee added, "We're going to hit you, like a hammer."

The formation features a tight end on the end of the line and two blocking backs -- seniors Brandon Miller and Rowan Pinkett -- side-by-side, right behind quarterback Ricardo Smith. Behind them stood Lee. Only star wide receiver Antonio Belt was split out wide, and Friendly put a cornerback and safety on him every play.

As Knights Coach Charles Harley told his team afterward, the Patriots had to know what was coming when Forestville lined up that way time after time and gave the ball to Lee behind eight blockers. But as the game progressed, Friendly's ability to stop the play diminished.

What had been moderately successful drives for Forestville in the first half, which ended in a 0-0 tie, became a pair of scoring drives in the second half.

The first came toward the end of the third quarter and covered 30 yards, all gained by Lee on the same play, run seven times.

"I was thinking, 'I'm going to get the ball a lot,' " he said. " 'I just got to make it happen.' "

After Lee's two-point conversion run made the score 10-0 (the Knights got a safety earlier in the half on one of Friendly's six fumbles), Forestville increased the lead early in the fourth quarter when Smith threw a rare pass out of the hammer formation and Belt caught a 20-yard jump ball over two defenders.

"I didn't mind [all of the running] if we're moving the ball," said Belt, who also had an interception from his safety position, "but I told Coach Harley to throw it to me one time, and he did, and I scored a touchdown."

Forestville 18, Friendly 6 Talking Playoffs: After starting the season 0-3, Forestville is starting to make a run toward the 1A playoffs by beating bigger schools such as 3A Friendly. Next week will be tough, though, as the Knights face 19th-ranked Douglass, a 2A school. Slippery When Wet: Friendly fumbled the ball six times, lost three of them, and one of the Patriots' recoveries was in their end zone, resulting in a safety.