Coach Dennis Alexander, Troup Tigers Eye 2-0 Start Against West Rusk

WEST RUSK RAIDERS (0-1)
AT
TROUP TIGERS (1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Tiger Stadium, Troup

Coaches
West Rusk: John Frazier
Troup: Dennis Alexander

Last week
West Rusk: lost to Harleton 21-6
Troup: def. Quinlan Ford 27-20

Next week
West Rusk: vs. Big Sandy
Troup: vs. Quitman

Playmakers
West Rusk

• QB Cayle Bickham, Sr., 5-10, 155
• WR/DB Marqualin Grant, Sr., 5-11, 145
• RB George Anthony, Jr., 5-11, 205
• DE Tristan Edwards, Sr., 6-4, 200

Troup

• RB Seth Gibson, Sr., 5-9, 175
• CB An'Fernee Ross, Jr., 5-8, 150
• WR/CB Hitachi Lydia, Jr, 6-0, 155
• QB Blake Lynch, Soph.

Just the facts

• West Rusk opened its new stadium last week with a loss to Harleton. The Raiders were unable to play true home games for the previous two seasons.
• George Anthony scored the game's first touchdown last week, a 12-yard run.
• The Dennis Alexander era in Troup got off to a successful start last week with the Tigers' win over Quinlan Ford in Bullard.
• Alexander ranks fourth-all time in state history with 324 wins. He's behind only G.A. Moore, Gordon Wood and Phil Danaher.

Key matchup: Troup's running game vs. West Rusk's defensive front. There's no secret what Alexander and the Troup offense wants to do. Seth Gibson's gives the Tigers backfield a productive workhorse, and will be up to the West Rusk defense to counteract the Troup game plan. If Troup is able to dictate the tempo, it could be a long night for the Raiders.