• By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Aug 26, 2008 - UPDATED: 6:52 a.m.

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Dutchtown High football coach Benny Saia was finally able to breathe a sigh a relief three days after senior running back Eddie Lacy injured a knee in a scrimmage against Zachary High.

Doctors told Saia on Monday that Lacy has a partial tear in a medial collateral ligament that will not require surgery. However, the injury will sideline the 5-foot-11, 218-pound Lacy for up to three weeks.

One of the area’s high-profile recruits, Lacy rushed for 1,852 yards last season and has gotten scholarship offers from the likes of Alabama, Arkansas and Nebraska and has received some interest from others, including LSU.

“On Friday night the doctors weren’t that positive and it looked really bad,” Saia said. “At that time, they were thinking it might be an ACL injury that would put him out for the season.

“I was worried for myself as a coach and I was also worried for Eddie. This is an important year for him on the field and academically. He’s worked hard this summer and is in the best shape he’s ever been in, which I think is a plus now.

“Obviously, the news is better than it could have been. Now we’ll work on getting him into rehab and work him back slowly. Everybody heals at their own rate. We’ll take seven or eight games with him — whatever we can get.”

Lacy was attempting to catch screen pass during the Friday scrimmage with Zachary when he took a direct hit on the knee, according to Saia.

In addition to the partial MCL tear, Saia said Lacy also suffered a bone bruise on the play.

For the past two years Lacy has teamed with fellow senior Kelvin York to give the Griffins one of the most potent rushing attacks in the state, rushing for 5,194 yards.

Saia said he hasn’t spoken with Lacy since the MRI was done, but has received several text messages from him.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to sit down and talk more about this tomorrow,” Saia said. “He needs to rehab. We also want to do everything we can to keep him involved in what we’re doing while he’s doing rehab.”