Troup Tiger Ramiro Martinez (4) scores a touchdown in a game played earlier this season. File photo by John Murphy

CORSICANA TIGERS AT LINDALE EAGLES

Where: Eagle Stadium, Lindale

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Records: Corsicana 4-3 (2-0 in 17-5A); Lindale 1-6 (0-2 in 17-5A)

Last Week’s Results: Corsicana 23, Nacogdoches 20 (OT); Ennis 41, Lindale 28

Last Year’s Result: Lindale 19, Corsicana 7

Quick Slant: Lindale is running out of time to turn things around, but a victory against Corsicana would put the Eagles back in the postseason conversation. The Eagles were stopped by Ennis last week despite the efforts of Jordan Robinson, who rushed for two second quarter TDs. Lindale made its name last year with a strong defense, but the Eagles have struggled to keep teams off the scoreboard this season, giving up an average of 37.7 per game. The Eagles offense has also found things difficult scoring 14 points or less in five of its last six games, but delivered 28 last week against Ennis, its highest output since Week 1 when it defeated Kaufman 42-39. Corsicana played a tough non-district schedule and the battle-tested Tigers are making it pay off in district with three-point wins over Jacksonville and Nacogdoches. Both of them came in overtime too and after Corsicana rallied back from second-half deficits. Last week against Nacogdoches, QB Blake Huffman delivered an 80-yard TD pass to Ike Hargrave with 2:33 remaining to put the Tigers in front. The game went into OT with Nacogdoches getting a field goal to take the lead before John Woods forced his way in over the goal line for the game-winning TD.

– Chris Parry

 

ENNIS LIONS AT JACKSONVILLE INDIANS

Where: Tomato Bowl, Jacksonville

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Records: Ennis 5-2 (2-0 in 17-5A); Jacksonville 4-3 (1-1 in 17-5A)

Last Week’s Results: Ennis 41, Lindale 28; Jacksonville 18, Whitehouse 14

Last Year’s Result: Ennis 57, Jacksonville 0

Quick Slant: Ennis is steamrolling through the district this year with no John Tyler and coin flips against Lufkin to deter the Lions up to this point. Ennis took care of Lindale last week at home thanks to RB Tycen Thompson, who rushed for 190 yards and scored 2 TDs. Thomson (122-950, 7 TDs) is part of a 1-2 rushing punch for Ennis, along with Kyre Holloway (86-779, 9 TDs). Ennis hasn’t completed many passes, an average of eight per game, but those have gone for 829 yards and 9 TDs. The Lions leading receiver is senior J.T. Mackey, who has 17 catches for 399 yards and 3 TDs. This game was an absolute rout last year, but these aren’t the same Jacksonville Indians. In Wayne Coleman’s second year, Jacksonville has itself firmly in the postseason conversation. It helps to have a QB as dynamic as Cameron High, who has rushed for 1,217 yards and 13 TDs while also passing for 603 yards and seven scores. Last week the Indians rallied from three points down in the fourth quarter with High leading Jacksonville on a 12-play drive and completing it with a short TD run that turned out be the game-winner. All of High’s praise discounts a Jacksonville defense that held four of its last five opponents to 21 points or less. The Tribe will have to contend with an Ennis attack scoring 32.8 per game.

– Chris Parry

 

WHITEHOUSE WILDCATS AT NACOGDOCHES DRAGONS

Where: Dragon Stadium, Nacogdoches

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Records: Whitehouse 4-3 (0-2); Nacogdoches 4-3 (1-1)

Last Week’s Results: Jacksonville 18, Whitehouse 14; Corsicana 23, Nacogdoches 20 (OT)

Last Year’s Result: Nacogdoches 51, Whitehouse 21

Quick Slant: Whitehouse entered league play full of confidence, but two consecutive losses have put a dent in that optimism. The Wildcats can still turn it around and challenge for a playoff spot, but it needs to begin Friday at Nacogdoches. All year, Whitehouse has led with its defense, which continues to hold offenses in check. Opponents are averaging 19.8 points per game and the Wildcats held Ennis and Jacksonville to under 21 in their two league games. Herein lies the issue. The Wildcats point totals have decreased each week since its 49-31 win over Sulphur Springs. Whitehouse has numerous offensive weapons at its disposal, led by receiver Zach Parker, who has 36 catches for 586 yards and 7 TDs. The ground game is led by junior Ken’tavian Mcdade (46-236) with Tanner Roach (963, 7 TDs) back under center after missing time with an injury. Nacogdoches was denied in overtime last week despite leading in the second half and grabbing the opening points of the extra session. The Dragons continue to rely on the big-play ability of Josh Thompson, who has multiple kick returns for touchdowns and last week caught a 23-yard scoring strike to send the game into OT.

– Chris Parry

 

TROUP TIGERS AT ARP TIGERS

Where: Bill Herrington Tiger Stadium

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Records: Troup 4-3 (2-1 in 9-3A Div. II); Arp 6-2 (3-1 in 9-3A Div. II)

Last Week’s Results: Troup 28, Harleton 2; Arp 21, West Rusk 20

Last Year’s Result: Arp 46, Troup 14

Quick Slant: Troup surpassed its district win total of a year ago by defeating Harleton to move to 2-1 in district. Now things get even more challenging with Troup finishing the season against three of the four league powerhouses: Arp, Waskom and Elysian Fields. The Tigers limited Harleton to under 100 yards of total offense in their victory last week. Trent Allen scored two touchdowns, highlighted by a 51-yard run, with QB Weslee Ross finding pay-dirt from 5 yards out on a run and also tossing a 5-yard TD pass to Joshua Parker. Arp dealt West Rusk its first loss of the season last week in thrilling fashion. Demonte Wade tie the game 20-20 on a 61-yard run with under three to play. Gunner Mason’s PAT proved to be the difference maker. Both Kayce Medlock and Tyler Stewart also scored TDs.

– Chris Parry

 

CHAPEL HILL BULLDOGS AT PALESTINE WILDCATS

Where: Wildcat Stadium, Palestine

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Records: Chapel Hill (2-6, 1-3 in 9-4A Div. I); Palestine (4-3, 1-2 in 9-4A Div. I)

Last Week’s Results: Chapel Hill 45, Bullard 20; Palestine idle

Last Year’s Result: Chapel Hill 42, Palestine 10

Quick Slant: Both teams are coming off victories. Chapel Hill snapped a six-game losing streak with its win over Bullard, while Palestine won its initial district game of the Robby Clark coaching era at the school, now in his second season, with its victory over Bullard two weeks ago. Chapel Hill enters this matchup averaging 16.7 points, 121 yards rushing and 153 yards passing per game. QB Jaxon Heckel was 13 of 28 passing for 212 yards and three touchdowns against Bullard. For the season, he is 69 of 143 for 1,013 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. Heckel’s top targets have been WRs Jordan Williams (14-236, 2 TDs), Demarcus Attaway (14-267, 1) and Cooper Daniels (11-146). The rushing leaders for the ‘Dogs are RBs Andrian Miner (114-539, 4) Hunter Branin (54-341, 2) and Decorian Horton (35-230, 3). The Palestine offense is averaging 27.5 ppg. RB Irric Deyon earned offensive accolades with a career- and season-high 309 yards rushing performance against Bullard. For the season, Deyon leads the Wildcats with 815 yards on 133 carries (6.1 ypc) and seven touchdowns. QB Claude Rodgers follows with 182 yards and two scores. Rodgers is 50 of 109 passing for 1,090 yards and 11 touchdowns. Palestine is outscoring its opponents 193 to 158.

– Joe Hale

 

CHAPEL HILL BULLDOGS AT BULLARD PANTHERS

Where: Panther Stadium, Bullard

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

Records: Carthage (4-2, 1-2 in 9-4A Div. I); Bullard (3-4, 0-3 in 9-4A Div. I)

Last Week’s Results: Carthage 42, Center 16;

Chapel Hill 45, Bullard 20

Last Year’s Result: Did not play

Quick Slant: Carthage is averaging 36.0 points per game and allowing 27.1. Carthage QB Kason Davis is 109 of 183 passing for 1,705 yards and 18 TDs with 6 INTs. His favorite targets are WRs Dee Bowens (31-507) and Dewaylon Ingram (25-404), along with RB Keaontay Ingram (21-278). Ingram, a junior, is the leading rusher with 115 carries for 905 yards. The Carthage defense is allowing opponents an average of 197.5 yards rushing and 147.1 yards passing per contest. The unit is led by LB Jase Dixon with 66 tackles, 8 TFL, 4 FF, 2 FR and 1 sack. Bullard is allowing 29.2 points per contest. The Panthers leading tacklers are ILB Donovan Yeley with 47 tackles and 2 TFL, ILB Thomas Brooks with 45 and 7 TFL, and S Tre Crayton with 43 tackles. Offensively, the Panthers are averaging 23.5 ppg. The Bullard rushing game against Chapel Hill was ineffective, though, averaging only a yard per carry (23 for 23). For the season, RB Crayton is the leading rusher with 347 yards on 66 carries and four touchdowns. RB Luke Bowman follows with 244 yards on 71 carries and has 2 TDs. QB Cleet Bowman was 17 of 38 passing for 247 yards against Chapel Hill, bringing his figures for the season to 91 of 175 for 1,429 yards and 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions. His favorite receivers have been Ty Crayton (20-349, 2) and Nic Costas (14-305, 1).

– Joe Hale

 

GILMER BUCKEYES AT SPRING HILL PANTHERS

Where: Panther Stadium, Longview

When: 7:30 p.m.

Records: Gilmer (6-1, 2-0 in 7-4A Div. II), Spring Hill

(3-4, 0-2 in 7-4A Div. II)

Last Week’s Results: Gilmer 35, Gladewater 28;

Pittsburg 54, Spring Hill 17

Last Year’s Result: Did not play

Quick Slant: The Gilmer Buckeyes are averaging 50.1 points per game for the season, but only 33.0 in its district wins against Pleasant Grove and Gladewater. … Gilmer’s offense with Aaron ‘Poppy’ Brown at QB is averaging 359 yards passing and 178.4 rushing. Brown is among the East Texas passing leaders, completing 164 of 249 attempts for 2,461 yards and 25 touchdowns. He has suffered seven interceptions. His favorite receivers are Oklahoma State oral commit Lamarcus Morton (37-724, 6 TDs), Red Jones (32-468, 6), and Qua Heath (22-347, 4). Leading the Buckeyes’ rushing attack is RB Kameryn Cuevas with 41 carries for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Rashaad Ward is close behind with 260 yards and three TDs. Gilmer’s Black Flag defensive unit is allowing 34.2 points, 222 rushing yards and 146 passing per contest. The unit has four interceptions, six fumble recoveries and 24 sacks. Individually, the leaders are Louisiana Tech commit S Kollin Hurt and LB Jeremy Kelly. Hurt has 75 tackles, 2 TFL and 2 INT, while Kelly has 67 tackles to go along with 6 TFL and 1 INT. The Spring Hill defense will have its work cut out for it this week against the Buckeyes. Sophomore FS Daryn Beck is the Panthers’ top tackler with 61 and 1 TFL, while ILB Vaughn Bufkin follows with 55 tackles, 3 TFL and 5 sacks. For the season, the Panther D has 33 TFL, 11 sacks, 2 INT and 6 FR. Spring Hill’s offense is averaging 242 yards per game, most of that coming on the ground (202 yards rushing). RB Zach Tulpa is the leading rusher with 730 yards and eight touchdowns on 148 carries. QB Dayson Attaway follows with 364 yards and five TDs on 77 carries. Attaway has thrown for 173 yards (17 of 49) and one touchdown. His leading receiver is Ryan Willis (17-174, 1 TD).

– Joe Hale

 

HENDERSON LIONS AT CENTER ROUGHRIDERS

Where: Roughrider Stadium, Center

When: 7:30 p.m., Friday

Records: Henderson (6-1, 2-1 in 9-4A Div. I), Center (5-3, 3-1 in 9-4A Div. I)

Last Week’s Results: Kilgore 28, Henderson 26; Carthage 42, Center 16

2015 Result: Did not play

Quick Slant: Coming off its first loss of the season, Henderson, ranked No. 6 in The Associated Press Class 4A Top 10 last week, dropped to No. 11 in this week’s rankings. The Lions are averaging 43.2 points per game, while Center averages 24.7, but allows 33.8. The 33.8 is inflated by losses to state-ranked Gilmer (70) and Gladewater (56), though. … TCU verbal commit RB Lakendrick Vanzandt leads the Lions in rushing yardage and touchdowns with 756 and 9, respectively. QB Trae Hall has 399 yards and four touchdowns rushing, and RB Lynn Freeney follows with 249 and two. For the season, Henderson has rushed for 1,762 yards and 21 touchdowns on 234 carries. Hall is 57 of 89 passing for 810 yards. His favorite receivers have been TCU commit Trestan Ebner and WR Matthew Childers. Ebner has 25 receptions for 484 yards and eight TDs, while Childers has 19 catches for 209 and three. Henderson QBs have 63 completions for 992 yards and 15 touchdowns. … OLB Adrian Johnson continues to be the playmaker for the ‘Riders’ defense with 88 tackles, 27 TFL, 10 SK, and 1 INT. FS Octavius Evans has 48 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 FR, 1 INT for a unit that has 94 TFL, 25 SK, 8 INT, and 11 FR in eight games. … The Center offense is averaging 274.8 yards per game (2,199 for the season: 755 rushing and 1,444 passing). QB Kyle Parks is 109 of 184 passing for 1,433 yards and 11 touchdowns with a completion rating of 59.2 percent. His average yards per completion is 13.1. His favorite target continues to be WR Octavius Evans, an FBS, Division I recruit, with 47 catches for 605 yards and three touchdowns. WR Jaterius Evans follows with 25 receptions for 465 yards. Jacarious Hall is the Roughriders’ leading rusher with 362 yards and one touchdown on 79 carries, while Parks has rushed for 220 yards on 207 carries with nine touchdowns. … Henderson defensively is allowing just 18.7 ppg. The Lions’ leading tackler is ILB Keaton Hand with 83 stops and 3 TFL. He is followed by OLB Ty Blanton with 75 tackles, 10 TFL, 4 SK, 7 QBP, ILB Josh Mapps (70, 1 TFL), and OLB Garrett Lybrand (66, 5 TFL, 2 SK).

– Joe Hale

 

ATLANTA RABBITS AT GLADEWATER BEARS

Where: Jack V. Murphy-Bear Stadium, Gladewater

When: 7:30 p.m., Friday

Records: Atlanta (5-2, 1-1 in 7-4A Div. II); Gladewater (5-1, 1-1 in 7-4A Div. II)

Last Week’s Results: Atlanta 14, Pleasant Grove 7; Gilmer 35, Gladewater 28

2015 Result: Atlanta 35, Gladewater 28

Quick Slant: This is a key District 7-4A Division II matchup between a couple of once-beaten teams behind state-ranked Gilmer and Pittsburg with only two weeks remaining in the regular season, after tonight’s games. Four teams will qualify for the playoffs. … Through seven games, the Rabbits are averaging 32.0 points, 122.1 passing and 222.2 rushing yards per contest. Like Atlanta, Gladewater prefers the run, averaging 377.5 on the ground and 65.6 through the air. … The Rabbits’ ground attack is led by RB Jwan King with 438 yards on 55 carries (7.9 ypc) with five touchdowns. RB Kelton Young (51-367, 5) and QB Leighton Henson (68-334, 5) follow. Henson is 48 of 100 passing for 843 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. His leading receivers are Hunter Roberts (15-248, 2) and Trin Taylor (11-233, 2). … Gladewater’s defense is allowing just 15.4 points, 60.9 rushing yards and 126.3 passing yards per game. For the season, the unit has 62 TFL, 19 sacks and seven interceptions. Individually, the leaders have been LB Bryson Oliver with 56 tackles, 16 TFL, 7 SK and 2 INT, and DT Isaiah Tiner (40, 13 TFL, 3 SK). … Gladewater’s offense is led by QB Cameron Callaway, Jr., and RBs Isaiah Davis and Darnell McKnight. Davis is the leading rusher with 730 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Callaway has 576 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. McKnight has 530 yards and three TDs. Callaway, a former WR, is 19 of 39 passing for 394 yards and two touchdowns. His primary receivers have been Tyler Glenn and Daniel Robertson. Glenn has eight catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. Robertson has six for 124. … Atlanta’s defense is led by OLB Tristan Allen (64 tackles, 9 TFL, 3 Sk), ILB Gerrod Oliver (64, 5 TFL) and S Dontay Casey (59, 2 TFL, 2 CF).

– Joe Hale