Ninth-Ranked Waskom + Frankston Clash Friday Seeking 2-0 Starts To District

DISTRICT 8-3A DIVISION II

No. 9 Waskom Wildcats (3-1, 1-0)

vs.

Frankston Indians (3-1, 1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Jeff and Opal Austin Stadium, Frankston

Coaches

• Waskom: Whitney Keeling
• Frankston: Matt Nally

Last week

• Waskom: def. Elysian Fields, 49-26
• Frankston: def. Winona, 27-18

Next week

• Waskom: vs. Arp, Oct. 10
• Frankston: at Troup, Oct. 10

Playmakers

Waskom

• RB/DB Kevin Johnson, Sr., 5-10, 160 (38 carries, 504 yards, 5 TDs; 1 catch, 18 yards, TD)
• RB June Bug Johnson, Sr., 5-7, 135 (38 carries, 289 yards, 4 TDs; 2 of 3, 46 yards; 3 catches, 53 yards)
• QB Trace Carter, Sr., 6-3, 175 (8 of 18, 174 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 50 carries, 312 yards, 5 TDs)
• FB Dillon Benton, Sr., 5-10, 170 (21 carries, 265 yards, 3 TDs)
• RB/LB Chan Amie, Jr., 5-11, 160 (25 carries, 184 yards, 2 TDs; 1 catch, 7 yards)
• WR/DB Eric Stephens III, Jr., 5-6, 140 (3 catches, 78 yards, TD)
• LB Mike Reason, Jr., 5-9, 170
• OL Kyle Adams, Sr., 6-4, 285

Frankston

• WR/DB Kendrick Rogers, Jr., 6-5, 180 (19 catches, 424 yards, 3 TDs; 34 tackles, INT)
• QB Ozzie Buckner, Sr., 6-0, 185 (54 of 87, 1,043 yards, 6 TDs, INT; 47 carries, 272 yards, 6 TDs)
• RB Oran Jenkins, Sr., 5-6, 165 (37 carries, 285 yards, 3 TDs)
• DL Caden Bruton, Sr., 6-3, 200 (35 tackles, 11 for loss)
• WR Justice Bean, Jr., 5-10, 165 (21 catches, 387 yards, 2 TDs)
• LB Dylan Hokit, Jr., 5-8, 160 (34 tackles, 7 for loss)
• OL/DL Chris Thompson, Jr., 6-2, 245
• OL/DL John Ross, Sr., 6-2, 240

Just the facts

• Waskom 24-5 on the field since the beginning of the 2012 season. The Wildcats had to forfeit seven wins in 2012.
• Through four games, Waskom is averaging 45.3 points and 456.3 yards per game -- 401.3 rushing and 55 passing.
• The combined record of Waskom's four opponents -- Center, Paul Pewitt, Hughes Springs and Elysian Fields -- is 6-12.
• Waskom is allowing 23.4 points per game.
• Frankston is one win away from equaling last season's win total.
• Through four games, Frankston is averaging 31.3 points per game.
• The combined record of Frankston's four opponents -- Grand Saline, Sabine, Cayuga and Winona -- is 6-13.
• Frankston junior receiver Kendrick Rogers has FBS offers from North Texas and SMU.

Key matchup: Waskom rushing attack vs. Frankston defensive front. After featuring four 1,000-yard rushers in last season's Class 2A Division II state-semifinal run, the Waskom Wildcats are back to their old tricks in 2014. Through four games, Waskom already has five ball carriers with at least 184 rushing yards on the season. All of them have at least two rushing touchdowns, and all five are averaging at least six yards per carry. Typically, Waskom does not stray from the game plan very often. The Wildcats have run 209 plays from scrimmage so far, and 187 of them have been rushing attempts, which means Waskom runs the ball 89 percent of the time. Quarterback Trace Carter has completed less than half of his passing attempts, and has as many interceptions (two) as touchdown passes. Even if Waskom fails to keep up its pace of more than 400 rushing yards this Friday night, don't expect the Wildcats to drastically increase the number of passing plays they call. When you have guys like Kevin Johnson, June Bug Johnson, Dillon Benton, Carter and Chan Amie carrying the football, the odds of opposing defenses shutting the Waskom rushing attack down for a full 48 minutes are extremely low.

Frankston does possess a solid defensive front that might be able to contain Waskom's backs better than any team has up to this point in the season. Defensive lineman Caden Bruton and linebacker Dylan Hokit have combined for 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage through four games. The duo, along with its D-line mates and supporting linebackers, certainly have the potential to curb Waskom's rushing production. But the key to stopping Waskom's backs will come at the line of scrimmage. If the Wildcats' runners are able to break through to the second level, very few defenses on the 3A level have enough speed to chase them down from behind. Frankston's defense must win the battle on first and second down, thus creating less manageable third-down situations for Waskom on offense. As a team, Waskom averages 8.5 yards per carry, so obviously if that number does not reduce significantly, it could be a long night for Frankston.

Don't be surprised if: Frankston quarterback Ozzie Bucker and receivers Kendrick Rogers and Justice Bean put up big numbers. Even though Waskom is very much ground-oriented, the Wildcats typically don't waste too much time in putting the ball in the end zone. While the Indians are so slouch when it comes to running the football, as evidenced by the 557 yards and nine touchdowns combined by Buckner and running back Oran Jenkins, Frankston has big-play potential in the passing game. Buckner is one of just a handful of East Texas passers with more than 1,000 yards already on the season, and the receiving duo of Rogers and Bean have emerged as one of the most productive pass-catching combos in the area. Despite a solid defensive front, it's unlikely Frankston will be able to keep Waskom out of the end zone with regularity, which is where a quick-strike aerial attack could come in handy for the Indians. If Friday's game turns into a shootout, Frankston's best chance at keeping up rests with its quarterback and game-breaking receiving corps.