Carthage quarterback Jett Surratt, left, and Chapel Hill running back Rickey Stewart, right are two of the best in the state at their positions. Carthage and Chapel Hill will battle tonight at Chapel Hill in The Zone’s Game of the Week. (M. Roberts Media Photos)

Carthage (1-1) at Chapel Hill (3-0)

Time: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Stadium: Bulldog Stadium, 13172 State Highway 64 East, Tyler 75707

Coaches

Carthage: Scott Surratt (220-31 at Carthage)

Chapel Hill: Jeff Riordan (49-23 at Chapel Hill; 116-40 overall)

Last week: Carthage 58, Liberty-Eylau 20; Chapel Hill 21, Whitehouse 19

Up next: Jasper at Carthage; Lindale at Chapel Hill

WHEN CARTHAGE HAS THE BALL

Players to watch

Carthage: QB Jett Surratt (23 of 44, 267 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INT) … KJ Edwards (31 carries, 309 yards, 4 TDs; 6 catches, 46 yards) … RB Benny Smith (13 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD) … WR Junior Henderson (6 catches, 87 yards) … WR Blake Marion (6 catches, 77 yards, 3 TDs) … OL Kash Courtney … OL Colt Hodges … OL Brandon Allison

Chapel Hill: LB Trevor Brooks (31 tackles, 7 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FR) … DL Isaiah Collins (29 tackles, 2 sacks) … LB David Doan (28 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FF) … DB Timontrea Jenkins (26 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT) … DB Peaira Allen (22 tackles, 1 INT) … DL Henry Thirkill (19 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack) … DB Kelean Banks (17 tackles) … DL Matthew Walker (15 tackles) … DL Deshawn Waddleton (13 tackles) … DB Tyrell Gause (13 tackles)

Keys: After throwing for just 62 yards and having 213 total yards in the season-opening 20-15 loss to Kilgore, Carthage bounced back in a big way after a bye week to put up 518 total yards and 263 yards through the air in a 58-20 victory over Liberty-Eylau … A Chapel Hill defense that’s holding opponents to 22.7 points per game will need to limit Edwards — running behind an offensive line led by Arkansas commit Courtney — on the ground and try to force Surratt to add to his interception total.

WHEN CHAPEL HILL HAS THE BALL

Carthage: DL Braylin Allison … DL Colt Hodges … DL James Morrow … LB Klayton Ingram … LB DaQuives Beck … LB Carson Crawford … DB Jaydon Lewis

Chapel Hill: RB Rickey Stewart (51 carries, 498 yards, 7 TDs) … QB Demetrius Brisbon (13 of 27, 216 yards, 4 TDs, 4 INT; 29 carries, 200 yards, 1 TD) … QB Malik Gee (10 of 18, 181 yards, 1 TD; 9 carries, 57 yards) … RB Lemuel Stinson (16 carries, 132 yards, 2 TDs) … WR Trevor Brooks (7 catches, 119 yards, 3 TDs) … WR Jonah Riordan (6 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD) … WR Maliek Brown (4 catches, 55 yards) … OL Keldrick Davis … OL Sutherland Singer

Keys: Brisbon’s status for Friday’s game is unknown. If the Baylor commit can’t go, Gee will be the Bulldogs’ quarterback. Regardless of who is at quarterback, expect to see a heavy dose of the Texas commit Stewart, who missed the first half of last week’s win over Whitehouse with the flu before carrying the ball 16 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns in the second half to help the Bulldogs rally from a 13-0 deficit to take a 21-19 victory. Brooks has been a star on the defense for most of his high school career and has been a key contributor for the Chapel Hill offense this year at receiver. The Carthage defense has allowed 20 points in each of its first two games, but Allison, Hodges and Morrow up front, along with Beck and Crawford in the middle will look to slow down the potent Chapel Hill offense.

Did you know: Carthage is nine wins away from 700 in program history … Carthage has won nine state championships under head coach Scott Surratt … The season-opening loss to Kilgore was Carthage’s first regular season loss since 2016 — also against Kilgore. … Chapel Hill has won 13 playoff games the past three years, making two state semifinal appearances and then breaking through to the Class 4A Division I championship game in 2023, falling to Anna, 26-0. … Chapel Hill’s last state title came in 2011, while Carthage’s was in 2022. … This will be the first meeting between the two Bulldogs since 2019 when Carthage took a 40-14 win. Carthage went 8-0 against Chapel Hill from 2012-19. Chapel Hill’s last win over Carthage was a 21-20 decision in 2011 when it went 15-0 and won the state championship. Chapel Hill also defeated Carthage 26-14 in 2010 on the way to playing in the state championship game against Henderson.