District 14-4A Opener Features Two of East Texas’ Best Passing Attacks in Sulphur Springs, Mount Pleasant

Sulphur Springs Wildcats (3-2)
vs.
Mount Pleasant Tigers (4-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Sam Parker Field, Mount Pleasant

Coaches
Sulphur Springs: Wildcats
Mount Pleasant: Tigers

Last week
Sulphur Springs: idle
Mount Pleasant: idle

Next week
Sulphur Springs: vs. Texas High
Mount Pleasant: vs. Marshall

Playmakers

Sulphur Springs

• QB Brad Macek, Sr., 5-11, 170 (110 of 146, 1,300 yards, 11 TDs, 2 INTs)
• ATH Willy Ivery, Jr., 5-9, 180 (36 carries, 338 yards, 9 TDs; 31 catches, 343 yards, 2 TDs)
• RB Buddy Ivery, Sr., 5-8, 190 (92 carries, 535 yards, 4 TDs; 6 catches, 34 yards)
• WR Cole Hill, Sr., 5-8, 175 (45 catches, 622 yards, 5 TDs)
• WR Colton Wise, Sr., 6-4, 185 (23 catches, 354 yards, 3 TDs)
• S Larry Pryor, Soph, 6-1, 195 (63 tackles, 1 forced fumble)
• LB Dekeistan Mosley, Soph., 5-11, 180 (27 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery)
• S Zach Spigner, Soph., 6-0, 180 (33 tackles)
• WR Jordan Jackson, Sr., 6-0, 160 (13 catches, 131 yards, 2 TDs)
• OL Jenner Jackson, Sr., 6-3, 230

Mount Pleasant

• QB/P Montravious James, Sr., 6-0, 175 (102 of 157, 1,619 yards, 19 TDs, 5 INTs; 42 carries, 202 yards, 4 TDs; 37.5 average on 10 punts)
• WR K.D. Cannon, Jr., 6-0, 163 (41 catches, 667 yards, 11 TDs)
• RB Terrance Taylor, Jr., 5-9, 165 (36 carries, 278 yards, 4 TDs; 13 catches, 119 yards)
• WR Andrew Flanagan, Jr., 6-0, 200 (21 catches, 328 yards, 3 TDs)
• DB Jamald McGill, Sr., 5-9, 170 (5 INTs)
• DB Laderius Craddock, Jr. (3 INTs; 26.4 average on 10 kickoff returns)
• S J.R. Gonzalez, Sr., 5-9, 170 (2 INTs)
• S Luke Hill, Sr., 5-8, 180 (2 INTs)
• OL Tucker Brown, Sr., 6-1, 295
• K Juan Buitron, Sr. (26 PATs)

Just the facts

• Mount Pleasant quarterback Montravious James leads East Texas in passing yards (1,619) and touchdown passes (19).
• Sulphur Springs quarterback Brad Macek ranks among the top five in East Texas in passing yards (1,300).
• Mount Pleasant receiver K.D. Cannon leads East Texas in receiving yards (667) and receiving touchdowns (11).
• Sulphur Springs receiver Cole Hill leads East Texas in receptions (45).
• Four of the District 14-4A interceptions leaders play for Mount Pleasant: Jamald McGill, Laderius Craddock, J.R. Gonzalez, and Luke Hill.
• Mount Pleasant receiver K.D. Cannon, who is widely considered one of the top recruits in the state's 2014 class, will visit with Oklahoma during this weekend's Texas-OU rivalry game in Dallas, Cannon confirmed.
• Sulphur Springs averages 39.2 points per game and allows 32.2.
• Mount Pleasant averages 43.2 points per game and allows 26.4.
• Sulphur Springs leads the series vs. Mount Pleasant 20-12 since 1980.
• Sulphur Springs has won nine consecutive games against Mount Pleasant.
• Mount Pleasant's last win vs. Sulphur Springs was 17-14 in 2002.

Key matchup: Each back seven vs. each passing attack. This game's key matchup -- or matchups, in this case -- is/are similar to the key in the Newton vs. East Chambers game. Both of those Class 2A teams run the ball well and play strong defense. Well, in this contest, both teams pass extremely well. In fact, they may be the two best passing attacks in East Texas, separated by a short stretch of I-30. Neither team has set the world on fire defensively, but they've been so good offensively that it largely hasn't mattered. Sulphur Springs' two losses came by five points (49-44) to Sherman and five points (38-33) to Whitehouse, teams that are a combined 9-1. Mount Pleasant has scored at least 35 points in four of its five games, the exception being a 38-6 loss to the No. 4 team in Class 3A, Kilgore. While the points per game allowed numbers may not be impressive, Mount Pleasant has done plenty of intercepting, led by Jamald McGill and Laderius Craddock, who have combined for eight picks. On the other side, Sulphur Springs has a pair of talented sophomore safeties in Larry Pryor and Zach Spigner. So, even if Mount Pleasant can roll K.D. Cannon and Andrew Flanagan out there, and Sulphur Springs can go to Cole Hill and Willy Ivery, it appears both teams have the ability to counter with talented defensive backs, which should make these secondary-vs.-receivers matchups exciting on both sides of the ball.

Don't be surprised if: This game lasts a long time. That also means it should be a close one. Sulphur Springs quarterback Brad Macek averages 29.2 pass attempts per game, while Mount Pleasant quarterback Montravious James averages 31.4 per game. In other words, there will be a ton of passes thrown Friday night at Sam Parker Field. That should make for a very exciting contest for fans who love what the spread offense has done to Texas high school football. One of the most exciting games in East Texas so far this season was the narrow Whitehouse home win against Sulphur Springs, and this will be the same type of game. Talented quarterbacks on each side with a slew of talented receivers running routes for them. Mount Pleasant's K.D. Cannon is one of the best players in East Texas at any position, and you can probably say the same for Sulphur Springs athlete Willy Ivery. Both will be Division I recruits in the 2014 class. So the questions are: whose offense clicks better, and whose defense can withstand the onslaught a couple of times to get stops? Buckle your seatbelts.