FULTON — It was hard for Roger Thomas to see Kadarius Forside break his leg last week.
The Itawamba Community College football running backs are more than teammates. The cousins played football together at West Point High School. They have a bond that goes deeper than your average junior college teammates who spend at the most two years together.
So when Forside broke his leg last Monday in practice, Thomas took it differently than the rest of the Indians. He also knew
Forside’s setback created an opportunity for him.
“I had some big shoes to fill because he was the guy,” Thomas said. “I know how it is. Working hard that just runs in our blood. I knew I had to keep the flame going. It was a lot of motivation.”
Forside sat in a wheelchair with a huge cast on his left leg Thursday night and watched as Thomas made the most of his opportunity. Thomas had 22 yards on five carries and two touchdowns as No. 15 ICC lost 44-42 to No. 11 East Mississippi C.C.
Forside, who had 104 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown before his injury, said he and Thomas shared an emotional moment when he broke his leg. That moment lasted a few days before Thomas decided to make a change.
Forside remembers heading to practice one day when Thomas explained to him how serious he was about stepping up.
“He told me he was going to be a different person,” Forside said. “He just changed. His work ethic’s always been hard. He just started working even harder in practice so he would get a chance.”
Forside said it felt good watching Thomas cross the goal line for the first time against EMCC. He said he had a feeling Thomas was going to score when the coaches put him in. The second time made it that much more special.
Thomas’ first touchdown came on a 10-yard run and gave ICC (2-2) a 7-0 lead with 6 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Thomas’ second score tied the game at 21 with 12:56 remaining in the third quarter. Trailing 21-14 at halftime, Thomas’ 3-yard touchdown set the tone for an entertaining second half and gave the Indians hope.
“He gave us a spark in our run game,” ICC coach Sean Cannon said. “We’ve been waiting on him to kind of have that game like he did. He really settled in and really did a good job.”
Cannon said Forside’s injury motivated the entire team, but he saw how much it pushed Thomas. Cannon said Forside is probably four months away from beginning rehabilitation.
Thomas praised his offensive line and gave them much of the credit for his performance.
Forside called Thomas his mentor because he is older. But Thomas has been the one seeking advice from Forside the last two weeks.
Because they are relatives and have played together for a long time, they know each other’s games. That familiarity has led to an honest relationship.
“When I’m not on my ‘A’ game, he’ll let me know,” Thomas said. “He’s not going to be sorry about it. He’s going to let you know when you have to pick up your slack.”
Thomas didn’t approach Forside during the game, but he said they were going to spend a lot of time talking Thursday night.
Even though a victory would have made the night better, Thomas said he and Forside were going to celebrate his performance anyway they could.
“I’m probably going to push him around to celebrate. We’re probably going to find a ramp or something to roll around on,” Thomas said with a laugh.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.