PREVIEW: Garrison Meets Linden-Kildare in Crucial District Game

DISTRICT 11-2A DIVISION I

Garrison Bulldogs (3-2, 1-0)

vs.

Linden-Kildare Tigers (5-0, 1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Jack Hetherington Tiger Stadium, Linden-Kildare

Coaches

Garrison: Larry Prince
Linden-Kildare: Derek Simmons

Last week

Garrison: def. Joaquin, 35-7
Linden-Kildare: def. Harleton, 57-8

Next week

Garrison: vs. Timpson, Oct. 12
Linden-Kildare: at Joaquin, Oct. 12

Players to watch

Garrison

RB/LB Sabastion Porter, Jr., 5-9, 180 (122 carries, 873 yards, 13 TDs; 62 tackles, 11 for loss, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles)
DL Wyatt Reneau, Sr., 6-1, 250 (18 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 blocked kicks)
QB Drew Wise, Sr., 5-9, 165
RB Jakedrick Watts, Jr., 5-8, 165 (49 carries, 371 yards, 4 TDs)
OL/DL Adam Renfro, Sr., 6-3, 280
WR/DB Austin Colle, Sr., 5-5, 135 (11 catches, 205 yards, 1 TD)
WR Canyon Holmes, Jr., 6-1, 152
LB Blake Greer, Sr., 6-0, 155 (40 tackles, 9 for loss, 2 sacks)
DB Dallas Porter, So., 5-11 (20 tackles, 2 for loss, 3 INTs, 2 PBUs)

Linden-Kildare

LB/WR Ty Patterson, Sr., 6-1, 170 (15 catches, 265 yards, 6 TDs; 98 tackles, 8 for loss, 3 forced fumble, 6 fumble recoveries, 2 INTs, 1 sack)
RB/DB LaDavion Johnson, Jr., 5-5, 137 (102 carries, 821 yards, 12 TDs; 12 tackles, 3 for loss, 3 INTs, 2 forced fumbles)
LB/C Draydon Delese, Sr., 5-8, 195 (27 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries)
QB/DB Jacob Owen, Sr., 5-11, 175 (46-of-81, 757 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INTs; 45 carries, 237 yards, 4 TDs; 37 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 INT, 2 PBUs)
WR/DB Marquise Jones, Sr., 6-3, 153 (7 catches, 179 yards, 3 TDs; 24 tackles, 2 INTs, 3 PBUs)
DE Nicholas Kunze, Jr., 6-0, 200 (47 tackles, 8 for loss, 1 forced fumble, 3.5 sacks)
WR/DB Red Tyson, Jr., 5-9, 141 (18 catches, 208 yards, 4 TDs; 24 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 4 PBUs, 4 INTs)
WR Trey Schuler, Jr. (4 catches, 76 yards, 1 TD; 23 tackles 1 for loss, 2 PBUs)

Just the facts

Garrison and Linden-Kildare have not met since at least 1990.
Linden-Kildare is averaging 395 yards per game (156.8 passing and 238.2 rushing).
The Tigers have forced 21 turnovers this season (12 interceptions and nine fumbles).
Linden-Kildare linebacker Ty Patterson is East Texas' leading tackler with 98 tackles.
Garrison running back Sabastion Porter's 873 yards rushing put him among the top 10 rushers in East Texas.
Garrison is averaging 35.8 points per game and giving up 28.6.
The Bulldogs' opponents to date have a combined record of 16-7.

Key matchup: Linden-Kildare defense against the Garrison offense. The Tigers have been one of the more stifling defenses in the area, forcing 21 turnovers per contest. Ty Patterson is a legitimate contender for defensive player of the year, with 98 tackles already along with six fumble recoveries. He gets held from Nic Kunze, a defensive end who has 3.5 sacks so far. The Tigers have dominated on defense so far, but face a Garrison offense that could give them some trouble Friday.

Sabastion Porter has been the heart of the Garrison offense so far. With 873 yards, all things seem to flow through him. With 6-3 offensive lineman Adam Renfro creating holes for him and Jakedrick Watts, Garrison has produced well this season. Austin Colle provides a receiver threat, having gained more than 205 yards on 11 catches.

If Linden-Kildare can find a way to slow this offense, it will gain a valuable win in a district that looks to be extremely tough at this point.

Don't be surprised if: LaDavion Johnson surpasses 1,000 yards in this game. It's going to take quite the game for Johnson to do so, but he's shown he's one of the top rushers in East Texas in the past two season. He needs 179 yards to reach 1,000 and is averaging 164.2. If he can play slightly above his average, he can join Alto's Vi'Dareous High and Gladewater's Eli Carter in the 1,000 club.