October 16, 2008 02:13 pm
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RUSK — The Rusk Eagles (4-2, 1-0) have managed to overcome several challenges in 2008. Friday night they will face their biggest one, literally, to date as they host Carthage (4-2, 1-0) in a Class 18-3A contest.
Both teams nabbed lopsided wins in their respective district openers last week as the Bulldogs blasted Center, 47-7, while Rusk dismantled Huntington 47-0.
Carthage is considered by many to be the favorite in the conference as they have both an abundance of speed and size.
The Bulldogs’ two defeats have come at the hands of Class 4-A outfits Kilgore and Nacogdoches.
The Bulldogs are primarily a run oriented team with Dwight Smith getting most of the calls. Smith has rumbled 80 times for 892 yards this year while scoring 11 touchdowns.
Quarterbacking the C-’Dogs is senior Si’Darius Blackshire who is getting quite a bit of recruiting attention, including sniffs from Tulsa, University of North Texas and Sam Houston State.
Blackshire is 55-for-104 through the air for 832 yards. He has thrown an equal number of touchdown passes and interceptions — 11.
When he takes to the skies he generally likes to connect with either Joe Jones (25 receptions for 348 yards) or Jarvin Robinson (9 receptions for 210 yards).
Jones and Robinson have three touchdown catches each for Carthage.
Rusk head coach Ted Patton says it will take a near perfect effort to defeat the Bulldogs and that the game will serve as a good measuring standard to see just where his team stands within the league, after being pegged at the bottom by several pre-season publications.
“It will take us playing at our absolute best in all phases of the game Friday,” Patton said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “They are, without question, the most talented team we have faced all year. I think this game will serve as a good barometer as to where we are.”
Patton added the size of the two teams’ line was pretty close but that he was concerned that the Carthage backs were bigger than the Eagle linebackers.
Rusk will be without the services of starting quarterback John David Beard who suffered a minor knee injury — Beard should return to action next week according to Patton — in the first half of the Huntington game.
Trey Thrash will most likely get the start at signal caller for the Eagles.
He will be in good company in the Eagle backfield as Trent Vaught and Marcel Johnson have proven to be an effective twosome for Rusk this year in the split-back veer attack.
Panthers try new tact against Tatum
BULLARD — The Panthers (2-4, 0-1) will look to halt a three-game losing streak Friday when they play host to Tatum (3-3, 1-0) in a District 17-3A affair against an Eagle team that is on a run of a different sort — Tatum has won three of their last four games with their only defeat in that span coming to the No. 2 ranked Class 2-A team in the state — Arp (17-7).
That is a significant recovery for a unit that dropped their first two games of 2008 (to Hallsville and Jefferson).
On the flip side, Bullard picked up their victories early in the year against Palestine Westwood and Troup before being besieged with injuries.
The Panthers found the going tough at state-ranked Gilmer last week, as Bullard surrendered 29 points in the second period to the Buckeyes as Gilmer posted a convincing decision, 48-12.
At the same time, and a few miles down the road the Eagles were pulling off a mild upset over Gladewater.
B. J. Allen led Tatum with 217 total yards and four touchdowns in that contest, highlighted by a 29-yard dash for six in the first frame.
Daniel Bradford and Brandon Woodard have both rushed for over 200 yards each this season while Stedmon Coleman is the leading receiver for the Eagles.who are in their first year as a member of Class 3-A.,
Quarterback Charlie Moore, a University of Louisiana-Monroe commit, and receiver Daniel Howard continue to pace the Panther offense.
Moore has thrown for 972 yards (70-of-132) and 12 scoring strikes while also rushing for just over 600 yards and adding 10 rushing touchdowns on the ground
Howard has 29 receptions covering 512 yards this season and has scored seven times.
Blaine Faulk (54), Danny Vega (50) and Kolby Hanzel (47) are the primary tacklers for the Panther defense.
Bullard is coached by Jim Taylor while Andy Long directs Tatum.
Both teams continue loop action next week as Bullard hits the road to Gladewater while the Eagles entertain Chapel Hill.
NOTES: Hunter Skelton who appeared to possibly have sustained a serious injury in last week’s game was treated and released from an area hospital Friday night.
Alto tries for 4-0 in district against Cross Roads
ALTO — After pulverizing Overton 42-7 last week in a Class 20-1A contest, the Yellowjackets (4-2, 3-0) journey to Malakoff to face another struggling loop foe — Cross Roads.
The Bobcats, coached by Chancz Johnson, are 1-5 overall, 0-2 in conference and are coming off a 53-0 spanking by Cayuga in their last outing.
Cross Roads has fell on hard times since making the playoffs five years ago as the Bobcats have won just seven games since then.
Alto has won three-consecutive district games (against Grapeland, Carlisle and Overton) and appears to be playing some of their best football of the year.
“We played a good all-around game last Friday night and we needed that,” Alto head coach Keith Gardner said. “I think we are playing together as a team the best we have all year.”
When questioned about how his team would react to playing another floundering team this week, Gardner stated the ‘Jackets were not so worried about the opponents as they were themselves.
“We’re honest with ourselves and what our weaknesses are and what we need to do to get better,” he said. “We are more concerned with being where we need to be when it is time to worry about the playoffs instead of looking at what an opponent is doing.”
There were plenty of offensive standouts for Alto last week, starting with Marcuse Gasaway who rushed for four touchdowns, including one from 83 yards out. Gasaway finished the night with 212 yards on the ground for the ‘Jackets.
Quarterback Brandon Thacker connected with Javonte Jones on a 77-yard scoring strike as well for Alto.
All Saints up next for the Brook Hill Guard
BULLARD — Another week, another TAPPS opponent and another one-sided Brook Hill win has been the Guard’s mode of operation lately.
That trend could continue this week as Brook Hill (4-1, 1-0) hosts All Saints (3-3, 0-2) in a TAPPS Division III, District 2 matchup at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Heriington Stadium.
All Saints was crucified by Dallas Lutheran, 62-0 last Friday while Brook Hill was torturing Garland Christian, 70-8.
The Guard has out scored their last two opponents by a 132-15 margin.
Brook Hill travels to Dallas Shelton next week for just their second away game of the year.
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