Lufkin Panthers (5-3, 3-1)
vs.
Conroe Oak Ridge War Eagles (1-7, 1-3)

2 p.m. Saturday
Buddy Moorhead Stadium, Conroe

Coaches
Lufkin: Todd Quick
Oak Ridge: Derek Rush

Last week
Lufkin: def. The Woodlands College Park, 40-7
Oak Ridge: lost to College Station A&M Consolidated, 28-7

Next week
Lufkin: vs. Conroe
Oak Ridge: at The Woodlands

Playmakers

Lufkin

  • QB Tyler Stubblefield, Sr., 6-4, 205 (121 of 205, 2,006 yards, 19 TDs, 11 INTs)
  • WR JaBryce Taylor, Sr., 6-2, 185 (57 catches, 1,055 yards, 8 TDs; committed to SMU)
  • RB Kendrick Mapp, Sr., 5-10, 175
  • CB Jomal Davis, Sr., 5-10, 185
  • OL Erik McCoy, Soph., 6-3, 255
  • DE Demontrai Lewis, Sr., 6-3, 215
  • LB Kevin Moore, Sr., 6-0, 215
  • CB Jamarion Houston, Jr., 6-0, 185
  • DB DeAndre Hooper, Soph., 5-10, 165
  • DE James Moreland, Soph., 6-2, 210

 

Conroe Oak Ridge

  • QB Braden Letney, Fr. (45 of 74, 473 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs)
  • WR Jamarqus Durst, Jr. (20 catches, 245 yards, 1 TD)
  • LB Matt Mitchell, Sr. (68 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries)
  • DB Germod Williams, Sr. (63 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery)
  • LB Dillon Dye, Sr. (59 tackles)
  • LB Clayton Grett, Jr. (49 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 recoveries)
  • RB Jason Simmons, Sr. (42 carries, 175 yards)

 

Just the facts

  • Lufkin averages 37.5 points per game and allows 31.1.
  • Oak Ridge averages 13.6 points per game and surrenders 30.0.
  • Lufkin has scored 40 or more points five times this season.
  • Oak Ridge has scored seven or fewer points in four games this season.
  • Lufkin has outscored its last two opponents 87-14.
  • Oak Ridge has had four games decided by single-digit margins (1-3 in those contests).
  • Lufkin's JaBryce Taylor scored on pass plays of 80 and 99 yards in last week's 40-7 blowout of The Woodlands College Park.
  • Lufkin is 8-0 vs. Oak Ridge since 2004.
  • Lufkin has outscored Oak Ridge 405-78 in those eight contests.
  • The closest game between the two was Lufkin's 49-28 victory in 2010.
  • Lufkin beat Oak Ridge 63-0 last season for the most lopsided win in the series.

 

Key matchup: Oak Ridge's passing game vs. Lufkin's secondary. The obvious key matchup is Lufkin's passing game vs. the Oak Ridge back seven, but chances are the Panthers will repeatedly exploit that battle with Tyler Stubblefield slinging the ball around to SMU-bound JaBryce Taylor and the rest of the Panthers' talented receiving corps. But Oak Ridge has struggled offensively, averaging less than 14 points per game. The running game produces only 102.9 yards per game, so the War Eagles must get a solid, control-the-tempo performance from its passing game, which is directed by freshman Braden Letney. He took over the job from senior Colby Kitterman at the end of September and has averaged 11.3 completions and 118.3 passing yards per game since. Oak Ridge needs the youngster to grow up fast if it's going to shoot for an upset against the high-powered Lufkin offense.

Don't be surprised if: Lufkin wins its third consecutive game. The Panthers have bounced back with authority from the 28-point home loss to The Woodlands, destroying their last two opponents by a combined 73 points. There's no reason to believe that trend won't continue against the one-win War Eagles, who are rebuilding under first-year head coach Dereck Rush, the former John Tyler boss. The schedule dictates that Lufkin should be able to ride a four-game winning streak into the playoffs, which would give the Panthers a 7-3 record and a ton of momentum entering the postseason. If Stubblefield, Taylor, and the Lufkin offense continue the way they've played the last two weeks, then the Panthers will be one step closer to that four-game streak by the end of Saturday afternoon.

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