John Tyler Lions (1-0)

vs.

Ennis Lions (1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Lion Memorial Stadium, Ennis

 

Coaches

  • John Tyler: Ricklan Holmes
  • Ennis: Jack Alvarez

 

Last week

 

Next week
  • John Tyler: vs. New Orleans Warren Easton, Sept. 10
  • Ennis: vs. Waxahachie, Sept. 9

 

Playmakers

Ennis

  • RB Tycen Thompson, Jr., 5-9, 170 (16 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD; 1 of 1, 34 yards, 1 TD)
  • OL Deven Collins, Sr., 6-2, 305
  • OL Trendon Rolen, Sr., 6-4, 305
  • RB Kyre Holloway, Sr., 6-0, 180 (11 carries, 137 yards, 1 TD)
  • LB Brandon Bata, Sr., 5-10, 185
  • LB/WR Kevyon Davis, Jr., 6-0, 180
  • TE/WR J.T. Mackey, Sr., 6-3, 185 (1 catch, 34 yards, 1 TD)
  • DL Jaylan Hill, Sr., 6-2, 275

 

John Tyler

  • QB Bryson Smith, Sr., 6-0, 175 (13 of 23, 276 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 7 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD; committed to Houston)
  • WR Damion Miller, Sr., 6-2, 195 (4 catches, 133 yards, 2 TDs; committed to Texas)
  • DE DeKalen Goodson, Jr., 6-2, 215 (10 tackles, 1 sack)
  • CB Javonta Mosley, Sr., 6-2, 175 (5 tackles, 1 PBU; committed to UTSA)
  • DT Howard Hawkins, Sr., 6-0, 266 (11 tackles, 1 sack)
  • CB Kieran Freeman, Sr., 5-9, 170 (4 tackles)
  • RB Justin Samples, Jr., 6-1, 205 (10 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD)
  • LB Tre Allison, Jr., 6-2, 200 (11 tackles)

 

Just the facts
  • John Tyler and Ennis split their two District 16-5A meetings in 2014 and 2015. Ennis won the first encounter, 30-27, while JT won last season, 40-29.
  • Since 2009, John Tyler and Ennis have combined to go 85-24. JT is 41-13, while Ennis has gone 44-11.
  • John Tyler opened the season last week with an impressive 45-14 win over Plano West, the second-largest school in the state in terrms of enrollment.
  • JT is 10-7 in non-district games under head coach Ricklan Holmes.
  • John Tyler quarterback Bryson Smith, a Houston commit, accounted for five of JT's six touchdowns in Week 1.
  • Ennis began the year with a 30-20 victory over Dallas South Oak Cliff last week.
  • Since 2012, Ennis is 9-4 in non-district games.
  • Last season, Ennis lost four games on the field (one was forfeited to Lufkin on a coin flip) by a combined 33 points.

 

Key matchup: Ennis rushing attack vs. John Tyler defensive front. There's no secret what Ennis' plans are on the offensive side of the ball. Ennis is a run-first operation, using its collection of skilled backs and big offensive linemen to bully opposing defenses. In last week's victory over Dallas South Oak Cliff, Ennis ran 42 times for 264 yards, and only completed two passes on the night. Both Tycen Thompson and Kyre Holloway rushed for more than 100 yards, which will be the goal again Friday night for Ennis against John Tyler.

John Tyler WR Damion Miller. (Rob Graham, ETSN.fm)
John Tyler WR Damion Miller. (Rob Graham, ETSN.fm)
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Coming into the season, John Tyler faced uncertainty along the defensive line following the graduation of Braylon Jones (Houston) and Pierre Leonard (Texas A&M-Commerce). For the previous three years, that duo had done a number on opposing offenses' ground games. In last week's 45-14 demolition of Plano West, John Tyler's run defense held its own. The Wolves ran the ball 53 times but for only 146 yards, an average of a meager 2.75 yards per carry. Defensive linemen Howard Hawkins (11 tackles) and DeKalen Goodson (10 tackles) helped keep Plano West's ground attack from dictating tempo.

Don't be surprised if: Big plays become the game's deciding factor. If that's the case, John Tyler is certainly more prone to explosive plays. JT put up 410 total yards of offense on 50 snaps (8.2 yards per play) last week, which included a 70-yard touchdown from quarterback Bryson Smith (Houston commit) and receiver Damion Miller (Texas pledge). Ennis, on the other hand, was outgained by SOC a week ago. Ennis managed 305 yards of offense on 53 plays, which is an average of 5.8 yards per snap. If Ennis fails to have its running game establish the tempo, John Tyler's big-play offense will have more opportunities to make an impact.

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