It's often said that the best players rise to the challenge and deliver in the biggest of moments. That certainly was the case for Carthage's Keaontay Ingram last Friday night.

The Bulldogs junior running back set career highs in carries, yards, and touchdowns to lead Carthage past bitter rival Henderson, 33-31, and into the state quarterfinal round of the playoffs.

Ingram (6-0, 198) carried 35 times for 259 yards and four touchdowns in front of a standing-room only crowd at Longview's Lobo Stadium to help Carthage reach the Round of 8 for the seventh time in Bulldogs coach Scott Surratt's 10 seasons.

For his efforts, Ingram is the ETSN.fm/Dairy Queen Offensive Player of the Week. He follows last week's winner, Winona running back Deundre Wheeler.

Ingram scored three times in the first half, and two were of the highlight-reel variety.

On Carthage's second play from scrimmage, Ingram took the handoff, bounced off a defender at the line of scrimmage, kept his balance after another Henderson player went low, and then shook off another would-be tackler along the far sideline before racing 52 yards to the end zone.

Then with time winding down in the opening half, Ingram took a pitch left and looked for an open receiver in the end zone. But instead, surrounded, he pulled the ball down and completely reveresed field for a mesmorizing 6-yard touchdown run as time expired.

He added a third-quarter score, and also finished with game with three receptions for 32 yards.

Ingram has surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark in 11 of Carthage's 12 games this season, and enters this Friday night's Class 4A Division I, Region III championship game against Stafford with 1,773 yards and 26 touchdowns. His single-season touchdown total is the fifth-most in school history.

ETSN.fm/Dairy Queen Offensive Players of the Week

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