District Rivals Liberty-Eylau + Paris Clash Friday In Regional Semifinals

CLASS 4A DIVISION I
Region II Semifinal

Liberty-Eylau Leopards (7-5)

vs.

Paris Wildcats (8-4)

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

Coaches

• Liberty-Eylau: Steve Wells
• Paris: Steven Hohenberger

Last week

• Liberty-Eylau: def. Carrollton Ranchview, 49-36
• Paris: def. Sanger, 28-16

Next week

• Winner faces winner between Argyle and Kennedale, 4A Division I Region II final

Playmakers

Liberty-Eylau

• RB Donelle Hoof, Sr., 5-6, 165
• QB Ke'mon Freeman, Jr., 5-10, 180
• RB Lamont Byrd, Jr., 5-8, 170
• WR Thurman Morbley, Jr., 5-11, 175
• LB Ricky Johnson, Sr., 6-0, 230
• LB Ricardo Lockett, Sr., 5-8, 185
• DB Corey Braxton, Sr., 6-1, 155
• DE LaGaryon Carson, Soph., 6-5, 215

Paris

• QB Quez Allen, Jr., 6-3, 212 (124 of 218, 2,093 yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs; 266 carries, 1,770 yards, 19 TDs)
• RB Dren Rollerson, Jr., 5-8, 190 (135 carries, 765 yards, 10 TDs; 18 catches, 227 yards, 2 TDs)
• WR K.D. Scott, Sr., 6-2, 185 (42 catches, 896 yards, 11 TDs)
• LB Jordan Williams, Sr., 6-1, 220
• OL Jax Dangerfield, Sr., 6-2, 300
• OL Riley Coker, Sr., 6-2, 275
• DE Kendall Alexander, Sr., 5-11, 210
• DB Trey Berry, Sr., 5-10, 160

Just the facts

• Liberty-Eylau is in the postseason for the 10th time in the last 12 years.
• Paris is in the postseason for the sixth time in the last seven years.
• For the season, Liberty-Eylau is averaging 31.8, while allowing 29.1 points per game.
• Liberty-Eylau has won six straight following a 24-7 district-opening loss to Paris.
• The cumulative record of Liberty-Eylau's opponents this season is 74-60.
• For the season, Paris is averaging 36, while allowing 24.8 points per game.
• Paris won four straight since a 25-15 loss to Pittsburg on Oct. 24.
• The cumulative record of Paris' opponents this season is 66-65.

Key matchup: Paris rushing attack vs. Liberty-Eylau defensive front. The Paris Wildcats are led offensively by junior quarterback Quez Allen, who's totaled close to 4,000 total yards and 41 touchdowns. While a great passer, Allen has gashed opposing defenses with his legs all season long. In two playoff games against previously unbeaten Van and Sanger, Allen ran for a combined 254 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Dren Rollerson is a solid option in the running game, but Paris will go as far as Allen's legs can carry it. Liberty-Eylau allowed quite a bit on the ground in last week's win over Carrollton Ranchview. Despite pulling out a 49-36 victory, Liberty-Eylau surrendered 367 rushing yards -- 179 of which came from Ranchview quarterback Keidrien Wadley, which suggests the Leopards could have difficulty containing Allen on the ground this week. Liberty-Eylau must do a better job against the run, and in particular against Allen, if it wishes to continue its playoff journey.

Don't be surprised if: Both teams light up the scoreboard in Mount Pleasant on Friday night. Liberty-Eylau and Paris are each on winning streaks that have come to be defined by explosiveness on offense. During L-E's current six-game win streak, the Leopards are averaging 43.8 points per game. Meanwhile, Paris has won four consecutive games and is averaging 40 points per game. Each team features dynamic rushing attacks. Liberty-Eylau is led offensively by the trio of Donelle Hoof, Lamont Byrd and quarterback Ke'mon Freeman, while Paris does most of its damage on the legs of Allen and Rollerson. When the two teams met back on Oct. 10 in the District 7-4A opener, Paris was able to come away with a 24-7 victory. And since that point, the fortunes of each team have shifted. Paris immediately dropped back-to-back games to Princeton and Pittsburg, while L-E has not lost since. One thing is for certain: Paris will be facing a much different Leopards team than it faced more than six weeks ago.