The injury bug is spreading like wildfire through the Brazos Valley, and its targeting quarterbacks.

And unfortunately for Rudder, its caught up to the Rangers.

Both Kyle Danford and Tre Hammond are dealing with injuries, and Hammond already has been ruled out for Rudder's Homecoming game against the Taylor Ducks on Friday at Merrill Green Stadium.

Hammond suffered a Grade I concussion in the second quarter of last week's loss at Rockdale. The UIL suggests players should take off a minimum of seven days from the time their concussion symptoms end until they resume practicing. Hammond is expected to be cleared Monday.

The concussion, though the least severe grade, was still a scary moment for the Rangers.

"He was out," Rudder head coach C.M. Pier said. "He didn't even know his mother's name when he came into the dressing room. You're better to err on the side of caution with these things. The UIL makes us all be CPR-certified, so with that, you get all the training [on dealing with concussions]."

Danford, the starter, also suffered an injury. He managed to finish the game, but his status is in doubt. Pier said the junior's availability will be a game-time decision Friday. If Danford can't go and with backup Hammond also out, Charleston Samuel will step into the starter's role. Samuel is a 5-foot-10, 159 pound junior who also plays in the defensive backfield.

The Taylor defense runs an aggressive scheme that features lots of blitzing by its linebackers. A good way to beat that defense is through the quick passing game, running slants and quick outs into the spots vacated by the blitzers. Pier said if Charleston goes, the Rangers might try to employ a quick attack without overloading the first-time starter.

"There are some good things that Charleston can do," Pier said. "We're not going to do anything that he can't do, but we're going to work within his abilities and get the job done. They've got two linebackers that are really good. They're 200-plus [pound] kids, and they both can run. They're as aggressive as any team we've faced, so we just have to come out ready to play."

Taylor (3-3, 0-2) has now lost three straight games, including a heartbreaker last week against Madisonville. The Mustangs kicked a 31-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to give Madisonville a 28-26 victory and send Taylor to its second straight District 24-3A loss.

Taylor was without starting quarterback Ricky Cobia against Madisonville, but it's Mark Jackson that worries Pier the most.

"They've got a really good athlete, No. 7 [Jackson], that they play literally everywhere," Pier said. "He plays running back, he plays quarterback, he plays wideout, he plays cornerback and he's also their return man. He's a 50-foot triple jumper. The kid is a really good athlete, so they do a lot of things to get the ball in his hands."

Jackson had 1,274 all-purpose yards last season, averaging 11.1 yards per carry and 22 yards per reception. Jackson also scored 12 touchdowns and completed both of his pass attempts for 9 yards.

Containing Jackson will be familiar for Rudder, since the spread attack that Taylor runs on offense is similar to a couple other of the Rangers' opponents.

"They spread you out," Pier said. "They will throw it, but they like to run the ball. We have to be ready for that, especially when [Jackson] is in there. They like to get the ball in his hands with screens, quick passes to the side, so we have to be ready to stop that."

RUDDER FOOTBALL

* Friday's game: Taylor (0-3 District 24-3A) at Rudder (0-3), 7:30 p.m.

* Radio: KZNE's (95.1 FM) HD-3 station and online at www.rudderrangers.com