Prep Grid Preview ... Week 2: 'Cats seek to reverse L&C fortunes

Slater senior Cody Skinner seeks an encore to last week's 200-yard performance in the Lewis and Clark Conference opener against Paris. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

SLATER -- Slater got its football season off to a promising start last week by pounding Northwest of Hughesville, 35-8.

Now comes the hard part for the Wildcats (1-0): getting a win in the rugged Lewis and Clark Conference, something they didn't do last year. And they'll have to do it against a potent Paris club which has won the last three meetings since dropping a 20-14 decision in 2005.

"To me, it looked like they were the better team," Slater head coach Chris Ferri commented on the Coyotes' 38-27 loss last week to Monroe City. "I told the kids, 'We're going to have our hands full.'"

Having meet the Mustangs during summer camp, Ferri had predicted a dogfight -- but it didn't materialize as senior Cody Skinner racked up a combined 209 yards and three touchdowns passing and running.

"I thought we beat a quality opponent," Ferri said. "We played a good game, offensively and defensively."

The 'Cats will have to ratchet it up this week, especially on the defensive end against Paris (0-1) -- which has an all-conference quarterback in senior Taylor Barr and some talented receivers.

Barr threw for 116 yards and three touchdowns in last week's losing effort, with junior Kable Ragsdale catching two of them and all-state senior Jon Gilliam another -- while also tossing one himself on an option.

"We have to mix our coverages up," Ferri said. "They like to attack us deep and strike deep.

"We want to keep everything in front of us," he explained. "If they're going to score, we need to make them work for it."

Slater hasn't won an L&C opener since beating Westran, 30-19, four years ago -- the last time it finished in the first division of the league standings. This is a season in which the 'Cats would like to turn that trend around.