Fresh Off Double-OT Victory, Arp Has Sights Set on Matchup With Undefeated Crawford

Class 2A Division II Region III

Area Playoff

Arp Tigers (7-4)

vs.

Crawford Pirates (11-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Bison Stadium, Buffalo

Coaches

• Arp: Dale Irwin
• Crawford: Delbert Kelm

Last week

• Arp: won 34-28 (2OT) vs. Paul Pewitt
• Crawford: won 62-16 vs. Anderson-Shiro

Next week

• Winner plays Waskom or Rosebud-Lott in a 2A Division II regional semifinal

Playmakers

Arp

• RB Marcalas Johnson, Jr., 5-10, 180 (234 carries, 1,838 yards, 25 TDs; 6 catches, 34 yards, 1 TD; 4 of 16, 88 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT)
• WR/DB Thomas Reese, Soph. (23 catches, 547 yards, 9 TDs; 48 tackles, 1 for loss, 3 INTs, 1 pass break-up)
• OL/DL Tyrone Hunt, Jr., 6-4, 220 (47 tackles, 8 for loss, 5 sacks, 3 QB pressures)
• LB John Hawkins, Sr. (124 tackles, 6 for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 1 INT)
• LB Kalik Kines, Jr., 5-10, 222 (98 tackles, 2 for loss)
• QB Chase Bonner, Sr. (40 of 90, 761 yards, 9 TDs, 4 INTs)
• WR/DB Demarcus Mauldin, Jr. (9 catches, 108 yards; 35 tackles, 3 INTs, 3 pass break-ups)
• LB Isaiah Baker, Soph. (74 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack, 1 QB pressure, 3 forced fumbles)

Crawford

• FB/DL Brady Jones, 5-9, 200
• WR/DB Colton Adamick, Sr.
• OL Colby Gohlke
• LB Matt Brown
• RB Braden Murphy
• OL James Edwards
• LB Bo Pearsson
• OL Blake Kasparian

Just the facts

• Arp is averaging 33.1 points and 325.5 yards per game.
• The Tigers have won six straight games after beginning the season 1-4.
• Arp has outscored the opposition by an average score of 43-15 in its last six games.
• The Tigers' four losses have come to Tatum, Paul Pewitt, Troup and Garrison, who are cumulative 35-9.
• Under head coach Dale Irwin, Arp has compiled a record of 88-42. His record in the playoffs is 14-8.
• Arp defeated Crawford in the area round last season, 53-28.
• Crawford is averaging 47.5 points per game, while the defense is allowing 16.2.
• The Pirates have been involved in three games decided by seven points or less -- a 50-49 win over Whitney, a 30-27 defeat of Buffalo and a 42-35 victory over Rosebud-Lott.
• The cumulative record of Crawford's 2013 opponents is 49-66.
• From 2003-07, Crawford went 61-7. In the years since, the Pirates are 55-12.

Did You Know? Crawford defeated Arp rival Troup, 28-14, for the 2004 Class 2A Division II state championship. ... Arp put up 482 yards of offense in last season's playoff win over Crawford. Tigers running back Marcalas Johnson had 139 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in the win. ... Five of the last six teams to eliminate Arp from the postseason have advanced to at least the state-semifinal round. ... Crawford's district -- 11-2A D-II -- went 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Crawford, Centerville and Rosebud-Lott combined to outscore their 12-2A D-II counterparts, 168-46. ... Arp's district -- 10-2A DII -- went 2-2 in the first round. Arp and Garrison won their playoff games by a combined nine points.