Carthage + Gladewater Will Fight To Avoid Back-To-Back Losses

Carthage Bulldogs (1-2)

Vs.

Gladewater Bears (2-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Jack V. Murphy Stadium, Gladewater

Coaches

• Carthage: Scott Surratt
• Gladewater: John Berry

Last week

• Carthage: lost to Nacogdoches, 34-13
• Gladewater: lost to Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas More, 42-21

Next week

• Carthage: vs. Gilmer, Sept. 27
• Gladewater: at Kilgore, Sept. 26

Playmakers

Carthage

• DL Jarrod McLin, Jr., 6-3, 220
• LB James Marshall, Sr., 6-0, 200
• DL Chris Howard, Sr., 5-10, 190
• WR Jakeldric Jackson, Jr., 5-8, 160
• WR/DB Kirston Ingram, Jr., 5-9, 175
• OL/DL Cagan Baldree, Jr., 6-3, 230
• QB Jarod Blissett, Jr.
• OL Branton Halcumb, Sr.

• DT Daylon Mack, Sr., 6-1, 330 
• RB James Reese, Sr., 5-9, 165
• DL Quanterius Turner, Jr., 6-2, 280 
• FB Justice Centers, Jr., 5-11, 220 
• RB Darnell McKnight, Soph., 5-11, 195 
• WR Caleb Williams, Jr., 5-11, 160 
• DB Daylon “Duke” Gordon, Sr., 5-10, 155 
• RB Marcello Jackson, Jr., 6-0, 177
• RB Daryl Polk, Sr., 5-5, 175 

Just the facts

• Carthage leads the series with Gladewater 17-10.
• The two teams first met in 1930. Gladewater sent a "B team" to play Carthage in 1936.
• Carthage and Gladewater have met 25 times since the end of World War II. Carthage's record against Gladewater in the modern era is 15-10.
• Gladewater and Carthage have met various times as district foes and non-district opponents, but the two sides have never met in the playoffs.
• The two teams don't have to worry about a rematch in the playoffs. Carthage would play in the 4A Division I bracket while Gladewater would participate in the Class 4A Division II playoffs.
• With a team heavy in returning lettermen, Gladewater is 6-1 since finishing the 2013 regular season with a 4-6 record.
• Carthage is in jeopardy of losing back-to-back games for the first time since early September, 2011.
• Gladewater will play Kilgore next week. Carthage defeated Kilgore in last year's Class 3A Division I state championship game and the two teams will meet as district opponents Oct. 17.
• Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack, a Texas A&M verbal commitment, recorded three tackles for loss, a blocked field goal and scored on a short touchdown run last week in the Bears' loss to St. Thomas More.

Key matchup: Carthage's young offense versus Gladewater's defense. The Bulldogs are coming along as an offensive unit, but the offense ran into an outstanding secondary against Nacogdoches. Three of the four starting Nacogdoches secondary members have scholarship offers and two are blue-chip recruits. This week, Carthage faces an elite defensive line.

Gladewater defensive tackle Daylon Mack is considered one of the best at his position in the nation. Junior defensive end Quanterius Turner also drew attention against Louisiana power St. Thomas More last week despite the game's outcome.

However, St. Thomas More may have exposed things on film Pittsburg and Daingerfield failed to. Gladewater's opponent last week overpowered the defense with a balanced attack.

Carthage's offense is still a work in progress with nine new offensive starters from last year's state championship team. There were some uncharacteristic penalties for a Scott Surratt coached team last week and a handful of turnovers. If the Bulldogs can limit self-inflicted damage, the odds increase they can hang with Gladewater.

Don't be surprised if: Turner continues to emerge as a serious college prospect. He's a 6-2, 280-pound junior playing as a defensive end for Gladewater. Against a still relatively fresh offensive line, Turner could be a quick-moving problem Carthage quarterback Jarod Blissett will have to be mindful of in addition to Mack.

Carthage will have to show it can move the ball on the ground to keep pressure off their junior signal caller, but successful pass protection will be a Bulldogs' victory in itself as it continues to gel.