Old Rivals Lufkin + Tyler Lee Collide Friday in ETSN.fm + Dairy Queen Game of the Week

Lufkin Panthers (1-0)

vs.

Tyler Lee Red Raiders (1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday

TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler

Coaches

• Lufkin: Todd Quick
• Tyler Lee: Darrell Piske

Last week

• Lufkin: won 52-28 vs. John Tyler
• Tyler Lee: won 55-20 at Sulphur Springs

Next week

• Lufkin: at Nacogdoches
• Tyler Lee: vs. John Tyler

Playmakers

Lufkin

• QB Trey Cumbie, Jr. (12 of 23, 223 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT; 5 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD)
• RB Steven Sowell, Jr. (17 carries, 95 yards, 2 TDs)
• ATH KeKe Coutee, Jr., 5-10, 160 (committed to Texas; 4 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD)
• WR Jamal Jeffery, Jr., 5-10, 165 (committed to Texas A&M; 2 catches, 91 yards, 1 TD)
• LB DeAndre Robertson, Sr. (3 1/2 sacks)
• DL Josh Driver, Jr. (2 1/2 sacks)
• DL Darren Robins, Sr. (2 1/2 sacks)
• DT D.J. Williams, Sr., 6-4, 293 (1 sack)
• WR Terry Mark, Jr., 6-1, 180 (2 catches, 19 yards)
• OL Erik McCoy, Jr., 6-4, 297

Tyler Lee

• QB Zach Hall, Soph. (10 of 13, 298 yards, 4 TDs; 124 rushing yards, 2 TDs)
• WR Bryce Wilkerson, Sr., 5-8, 150 (4 catches, 158 yards, 3 TDs)
• OT Matthew Weeks, Jr., 6-5, 260
• OT/DE Ameir Wilson, Sr., 6-3, 230
• DT Triston Taylor, Sr., 6-1, 243
• WR Marquiston Williams, Sr., 5-10, 160 (1 receiving TD)
• RB Marquian Jones (1 rush TD)
• WR Averi Clewis (1 receiving TD)
• LB Brandon Durman, Jr.
• LB Rodderick Gaines, Jr.

Just the facts

• Lufkin recorded a staggering 16 sacks in last week's 52-28 season-opening home win against John Tyler.
• ETSN.fm tabbed Lufkin senior linebacker DeAndre Robertson as the Dairy Queen Defensive Player of the Week after he led the pass-rush charge with 3 1/2 sacks.
• Lufkin averaged 6.2 yards per rush and 18.5 yards per completion. In all, the Panthers averaged 7.7 yards per play.
• Lufkin junior offensive lineman Erik McCoy received his first Division I FBS offer Sept. 1 when the Houston Cougars offered him.
• McCoy is the ninth East Texan in the 2014 and 2015 classes to receive a Houston offer and the third Lufkin Panther, joining senior defensive tackle D.J. Williams and junior receiver Terry Mark.
• Lufkin and Tyler Lee have played 52 times since 1960, including twice in district each year in 2002-03.
• Lufkin holds a 36-15-1 advantage in those 52 meetings, winning 22 of the first 27.
• The Panthers have a 14-11 advantage since 1986 and have won six in a row vs. the Red Raiders.
• Tyler Lee's last win against Lufkin came in Oct. 2003 when the Red Raiders beat the Panthers 21-14 in their second district matchup of the season. That was during the 2002-03 seasons when the UIL forced Lee, Lufkin, Longview, and John Tyler to play a home-and-home round-robin district schedule.
• Tyler Lee's 55 points in last week's season-opening 35-point win at Sulphur Springs were the most points the Red Raiders have scored in a game since a 63-10 district home win vs. North Mesquite on Nov. 7, 2008. That's also the last time Lee eclipsed the 50-point plateau.
• Seven of Lee's eight touchdowns covered at least 21 yards. Five of those touchdowns were at least 31 yards. Four of those scores were 71, 69, 64, and 55 yards.
• In all, Lee averaged 43.9 yards per touchdown play.
• Tyler Lee senior receiver Bryce Wilkerson averaged 39.5 yards per catch on his four grabs against Sulphur Springs.
• Three of Wilkerson's catches went for touchdowns (71, 21, 55).
• Lee junior offensive tackle Matthew Weeks holds an SMU offer. He's 1 of 11 East Texans in the 2015 class with at least one D-I FBS offer.

Key matchup: Zach Hall vs. Lufkin's defensive front. Tyler Lee -- and just about anybody on Lufkin's schedule this fall -- may have a tough time matching up with Lufkin's receivers, three of whom have already proven to be FBS-caliber recruits. Not to mention the run-pass threat junior quarterback Trey Cumbie presents.

But speaking of run-pass threats, Zach Hall showed against Sulphur Springs that he's a serious playmaker running and throwing. How Lufkin defends him will go a long way in deciding which team wins the 53rd meeting involving these teams.

Hall accounted for more than 400 total yards and six touchdowns in his debut last week. He led a big-play Lee offense that averaged almost 44 yards per scoring play and covered at least 55 yards on half of its eight touchdowns.

On the other hand, Lufkin's defense swarmed John Tyler's Geovari McCollister and the Lion running game. The Panthers recorded a jaw-dropping 16 sacks, resulting in so much sack yardage that JT finished with 0 yards on 34 rushing attempts, only 18 of which being of non-sack variety. Senior linebacker DeAndre Robertson, senior lineman Darren Robins, and junior lineman Josh Driver spearheaded the assault, combining for 8 1/2 of the Panthers' 16 sacks.

Can Lee's offensive line, bookended by Matthew Weeks and Ameir Wilson, stand up to the Pack's pass rush? If the Red Raiders keep Hall upright, they'll have a much better shot at scoring their first win against the Panthers in 10 years.

Don't be surprised if: Lufkin's passing attack plays a bigger role Friday than it did in the opener. That's certainly not to say it didn't play a huge role; Cumbie completed 12 of 23 passes for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns, with the usual suspects making plays on the receiving end.

But we won't be surprised if the Panthers throw the ball more than that this week. Once they built a big lead against JT, running the ball obviously made sense, especially considering they ran it well most of the game. Steven Sowell had almost 100 yards in his first start after replacing 1,000-yard rusher Kendrick Mapps, who graduated in the offseason.

Lufkin is the definite favorite entering Friday's game, but what Lee showed East Texas football fans a week ago in Sulphur Springs has observers anxious to see if the Red Raiders can have a similar performance against one of the region's top teams.