Daingerfield Looks to Spoil Mount Vernon’s Undefeated Season

Mount Vernon Tigers (7-0, 3-0)
vs.
Daingerfield Tigers (5-3, 3-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Mickey Mayne-Tiger Stadium, Daingerfield

Coaches
Mount Vernon: Mike Alexander
Daingerfield: Aric Sardinea

Last week
Mount Vernon: def. Queen City, 42-7
Daingerfield: def. Pattonville Prairiland, 51-7

Next week
Mount Vernon: vs. Redwater
Daingerfield: at Queen City

Playmakers

Mount Vernon

• WR/LB Sakorey Chandler, Sr., 5-11, 175 (24 catches, 413 yards, 5 TDs; 17 carries, 91 yards; 69 tackles, 2 INTs, 4 fumble recoveries)
• LB Mason Cook, Jr., 5-10, 175 (67 tackles, 7 sacks)
• DL Chase Whitaker, Sr., 6-1, 225 (58 tackles, 1 sack, 3 fumble recoveries)
• QB Daniel Brown, Sr., 5-10, 175 (29 of 54, 600  yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT; 37 carries, 231 yards, 2 TDs)
• QB Alston Sam, Jr. (34 of 57, 514 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs)
• RB/LB Keenan Allen, Sr., 5-11, 190 (50 carries, 299 yards, 4 TDs; 26 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery)
• RB Kris Ables, Jr., 5-8, 175 (69 carries, 557 yards, 13 TDs)
• WR Myrodge McGill, Sr., 5-9, 165 (9 catches, 262 yards, 2 TDs)
• WR Jonathan Barker, Sr., 5-8, 160 (12 catches, 181 yards, 1 TD; 1 rush TD)

Daingerfield

• ATH Edwin Mims, Sr., 5-9, 180
• QB Keris Alexander
• WR Shawn Hooks, Sr., 5-7, 160
• OL/NG Jacoby Simpson, Sr., 6-0, 280
• RB Ramius Wallace, Jr., 5-10, 165
• CB Ruben Mims, Sr., 5-9, 165
• WR/DB Jonathan Barber, Sr., 6-2, 165
• LB Calvin Bryant, Jr., 5-9, 160

Just the facts

• Mount Vernon averages 33.4 points per game and allows 7.6
• Daingerfield averages 27.9 points per game and allows 22.0.
• The three teams that have beaten Daingerfield have a combined record of 16-6.
• Mount Vernon has held six of its seven opponents to sever or fewer points.
• Since reaching District 8-2A D-I play, Daingerfield has averaged 39.3 points per game.
• Daingerfield is 8-0 vs. Mount Vernon since 1984.
• Daingerfield beat Mount Vernon 14-7 in 1999 in the teams' last meeting.

Key matchup: Mount Vernon's linebackers, secondary vs. Daingerfield's skill players. Much like his predecessor, Barry Bowman, Daingerfield coach Aric Sardinea likes to put his Tigers in spread packages that allow his athletic playmakers to get the ball in space. Limiting big plays and preventing yards after catch will be high priorities for Mount Vernon as it tries to keep an undefeated season alive. Edwin Mims, Ray Wallace, Shawn Hooks, and others can make defenses pay with their athleticism, so Mount Vernon must be prepared to potentially play a bend-don't-break style against a team that can hurt you in so many different ways.

Don't be surprised if: This is a close game, but Daingerfield's experience in big games helps it come away with a win. Daingerfield is playing at home and has won three of its last four games, with the only loss being a 38-37 road defeat against one of the top Class 2A teams in the state, New Boston. Mount Vernon is off to a great start and should still be safe in the hunt for a playoff spot, but it may not be ready to compete with Daingerfield and New Boston at the top of the district. Then again, if Mount Vernon comes out Friday and gets a huge win, it will prove that it's ready to take the next step.