Big-Play Tatum Offense Faces a Winnsboro Defense That Opened 2012 with a Shutout

No. 5 Tatum Eagles (1-0)
vs.
Winnsboro Red Raiders (1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Red Raider Stadium, Winnsboro

Coaches
Tatum: Andy Evans
Winnsboro: Steve Pinnell

Last week
Tatum: def. Arp, 41-21
Winnsboro: def. Harmony, 33-0

Next week
Tatum: vs. Pleasant Grove
Winnsboro: at Mineola

Playmakers
Tatum

QB Darian Brooks, Sr., 6-2, 200 (6 of 12, 211 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 11 carries, 118 yards, 2 TDs)
LB Kiano Lucas, Sr., 6-0, 210
RB Shaq Johnson, Sr., 5-5, 155 (15 carries, 16 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches, 84 yards)
ATH Jaylen Shans, Jr., 5-10, 160 (3 touches, 81 yards)
ATH Toby Henderson, Sr., 5-9, 180 (5 carries, 22 yards, 1 TD; 21-yard TD catch)
OG/DT Darius Whiting, Sr., 6-0, 265
OT/DT Tristan Durden, Sr., 6-4, 292
WR/LB Kyshaun Smith, Soph., 6-0, 190 (85-yard TD catch)

Winnsboro

QB Luke Tebbetts, Sr., 6-1, 195
RB Dugan Winkle, Sr., 5-9, 170
LB David Santoy, Jr., 5-6, 165
OL Trenton Hardy, Sr., 5-10, 225
TE Ryan Zimmerman, Sr., 6-0, 190

Just the facts

Tatum accumulated 469 yards of offense last week: 258 rushing, 211 passing
Tatum averaged 7.2 yards per carry against Arp
Steve Pinnell is in his 14th season at Winnsboro. Last week's win gives him an 88-57 record with the Red Raiders
Tatum had four plays of at least 63 yards last week: 63-yard run (Darian Brooks), 70-yard run (Jaylen Shans), 70-yard catch (Shaq Johnson), and 85-yard catch (Kyshaun Smith)
Winnsboro's 33-0 shutout of Harmony was the Red Raiders' first since a 32-0 win against Grand Saline on Sept. 25, 2009

Key matchup: Winnsboro's back seven vs. Tatum's backs and receivers. Arp is one of the most athletic Class 2A teams in the state, and the Tigers still couldn't prevent Tatum from posting four plays of at least 63 yards. Darian Brooks proved he's a threat with his legs and not just his arm, and Shaq Johnson, Jaylen Shans, Toby Henderson, and a host of other Eagles are always a seam away from breaking a long one. Winnsboro must limit big plays if the Red Raiders, which use a run-heavy offense, want to hang around for all four quarters.

Don't be surprised if: Tatum gets a big play or two during the first half to allow its defense to pin its ears back in the final two quarters. Tatum got plenty of big plays against Arp, which contained the Eagles' running game at times, only to see a back-breaking big play negate all the progress the Tiger defense had established. Tatum has the athleticism and playmaking ability to produce a lot of those will-killing plays, so Winnsboro must have a game plan that prevents Tatum from doing that. Easier said than done.