No. 3 Newton Sets Sights on Kountze After Dominant Performance a Week Ago

No. 3 New Eagles (6-0, 3-0)
vs.
Kountze Lions (5-1, 2-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Lions Stadium, Kountze

Coaches
Newton: W.T. Johnston
Kountze: Tracy Franklin

Last week
Newton: def. Winnie East Chambers, 74-7
Kountze: def. Warren, 48-0

Next week
Newton: vs. Anahuac
Kountze: at Winnie East Chambers

Playmakers

Newton

QB/DB D.J. Dean, Sr., 5-11, 180 (19 of 39, 451 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs; 36 carries, 450 yards, 8 TDs; 16 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble; committed to Utah)
RB/DB Kevin Shorter, Jr., 6-1, 185 (66 carries, 789 yards, 15 TDs; 5 catches, 145 yards, 2 TDs; 32 tackles, 3 INTs)
RB Brandon Johnson, Jr., 5-9, 180 (74 carries, 440 yards, 5 TDs)
MLB Corey Jenkins, Sr., 6-0, 195 (69 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble)
DE Anthony Hadnot, Jr., 5-10, 210 (52 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovery, 1 kick block)
SS Raylin Davis, Soph., 5-7, 155 (56 tackles)
DE Romando Stewart, Sr., 6-2, 205 (34 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble)
OL Robert Kenebrew, Sr., 5-8, 215
DT Justin Williams, Jr., 6-0, 205 (33 tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries)
DE Chedrick Hanks, Jr., 6-0, 195 (36 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 def. TD)

Kountze

WR Darrion Harper, Sr., 5-10, 145
QB Justin Harper, Soph.
RB Ernest Hafford, Sr.
RB Eric Brisco, Jr.
LB Kelon Jones, Sr.

Just the facts

Newton averages 50.7 points per game and allows 10.5.
Kountze averages 37.2 points per game and allows 17.0.
Newton has scored 40 or more points in five of its six games and scored 35 in the other.
Kountze has scored 40 or more points in four of its six games.
Warren is the only common opponent between Newton and Kountze.
Newton beat Warren 51-0 and Kountze topped Warren 48-0.
Newton won last year's meeting 69-18.
Newton has beaten Kountze four times since 2004 by a cumulative score of 228-54, which is an average score of 57.0-13.5.

Key matchup: Newton's running game vs. Kountze's defensive front. Despite a 5-1 record, Kountze will be a heavy underdog in this contest. The Lions absolutely cannot let Newton dictate the game's rhythm with the Eagles' ground attack. D.J. Dean, Kevin Shorter, and Brandon Johnson have combined for 28 rushing touchdowns and have fueled Newton's 6-0 start. Kountze's defense has played well, allowing 17.0 points per game and only 13.4 during the Lions' last five games. But Kountze hasn't seen anybody like Newton yet. The Eagles will be hard to stop come Friday.

Don't be surprised if: Newton continues its demolition of the District 10-2A Division I schedule. Nothing appears to be standing in the way of Newton, a 10-0 regular season, and district championship. Winnie East Chambers was thought to be Newton's most capable challenger, and the Eagles destroyed the Buccaneers last week in a 74-7 annihilation. Simply put, there's no stopping Newton if the Eagles continue to play like they have through the first six games of the season.