CLASS 2A DIVISION I
Region III Semifinal

Carlisle Indians (10-2)

vs.

Centerville Tigers (8-3)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Abe Martin Stadium, Lufkin

 

Coaches
  • Carlisle: Rocky Baker
  • Centerville: Kyle Hardee

 

Last week
  • Carlisle: def. West Sabine, 27-26
  • Centerville: def. San Augustine, 69-36

 

Next week
  • Winner faces winner between Alto and Union Grove, 2A Division I Region III final

 

Playmakers

Carlisle

  • RB Tiburcio Garcia, Sr., 5-7, 190 (104 carries, 728 yards, 10 TDs; 2 catches, 15 yards, TD)
  • QB Collin Gray, Jr. (67 of 134, 1,334 yards, 14 TDs, 8 INTs; 111 carries, 630 yards, 8 TDs)
  • WR Bryce McGowan, Sr., 5-8, 145 (18 catches, 317 yards, 6 TDs; 70 carries, 803 yards, 4 TDs)
  • RB/LB Ben Goss, Sr., 5-9, 185 (19 carries, 101 yards, 2 TDs)
  • WR/LB Dalton Sanders, Jr., 6-3, 170 (12 catches, 288 yards, 2 TDs)
  • WR Rico Pereles, Jr. (21 catches, 534 yards, 7 TDs; 26 carries, 168 yards, 3 TDs)
  • DB Dustin Perry, Soph.
  • OL/DL Ryan Curbo, Sr., 6-0, 225

 

Centerville

  • RB/DL Trevor Goolsby, Jr., 6-0, 185 (116 carries, 647 yards, 15 TDs; 17 tackles)
  • RB/DB Tully Pickens, Sr. (72 carries, 671 yards, 8 TDs; 5 catches, 89 yards; 28 tackles)
  • QB/DB Cade Harris, Sr., 6-2, 175 (26 of 47, 470 yards, 7 TDs, 2 INTs; 45 carries, 270 yards, 8 TDs; 35 tackles)
  • WR Haden Nash, Sr., 5-8, 145 (7 catches, 128 yards, 3 TDs)
  • RB Chance Carrigan, Sr. (78 carries, 518 yards, 6 TDs; 10 catches, 176 yards)
  • LB Trey Williams, Sr., 6-1, 180 (43.5 tackles)
  • LB Kyle Harris, Sr., 5-11, 210 (32 tackles)
  • LB Garrett Wager, Soph., 5-10, 165 (29.5 tackles)

 

Just the facts
  • Carlisle is 79-32 under head coach Rocky Baker, including 6-5 in the playoffs.
  • Centerville is 30-6 since the beginning of the 2012 season.
  • Carlisle is averaging 35.1, while allowing 16.8 points per game on the season.
  • During its current five-game winning streak, Carlisle is allowing just 14.8 points per game.
  • The cumulative record of Carlisle's opponents this season is 66-58.
  • Centerville is averaging 44.1 points and 312.5 yards per game -- 270.1 rushing and 42.4 passing.
  • During its current six-game winning streak, Centerville is allowing just 11.7 points per game.
  • The cumulative record of Centerville's opponents this season is 68-50.

 

Key matchup: Centerville rushing attack vs. Carlisle defensive front. The Centerville Tigers don't do much passing, so the obvious key for the Carlisle defense Friday night will be to contain Centerville's ground game. While no one player jumps off of the stat sheet, Centerville employs of an array of ball carriers to help get the job done. Six players have at least 270 rushing yards on the season for Centerville, which could make life awfully difficult on opposing defense coordinators the week leading up to games. It's not easy to prepare defenders for what will be several varying styles of runners, but that will be the situation for Carlisle this week. The Indians' defense has been solid all season, allowing offenses an average of just 16.8 points per game. The strong defensive play, especially against the run, will need to continue Friday night for the Indians to come away with a victory. Centerville quarterback Cade Davis has only attempted 47 passes the entire season, so if Carlisle can limit the Tigers' effectiveness on the ground, the Indians could force Centerville's offense out of its comfort zone.

Don't be surprised if: Friday night's game is not decided until the fourth quarter. Carlisle and Centerville are very similar in their approaches, and there does not appear to be too much separating the two teams. Centerville played a rough non-district schedule, which featured games against Corrigan-Camden and Mart, who account for two of the Tigers' three losses this season. Meanwhile, Carlisle's only two losses this season have come to a pair of unbeatens who are facing off against one another in the top half of the bracket -- Union Grove and Alto. The Indians gave both teams their closest games of the year, and those two contests have no doubt prepared Carlisle for an opponent like Centerville. With as much as both Carlisle and Centerville feature the running game, the outcome of Friday's game could come down to which team makes the most plays through the air. There's no surprise what each team's strengths are on offense, so expect the defenses of Carlisle and Centerville to gear up to stop the run, which could leave a few one-on-one matchups downfield either team could exploit.

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