PREVIEW: John Tyler's High-Powered Offense Faces Ennis

Ennis Lions (0-1)

vs.

John Tyler Lions (1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday

CHRISTUS TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler

Coaches

Ennis: Jack Alvarez
John Tyler: Ricklan Holmes

Last week

Ennis: lost to Dallas South Oak Cliff, 29-28
John Tyler: def. Plano West, 49-13

Next week

Ennis: at Waxahachie
John Tyler: at Lufkin

Playmakers

Ennis

RB Tycen Thompson, Sr., 5-9, 170 (18 carries, 83 yards, 2 TDs)
RB James Harris, Jr., 5-9, 205 (10 carries, 118 yards, 1 TD)
WR/LB K.D. Davis, Sr., 6-0, 200 (4 catches, 57 yards)
RB Kyrie Holloway, Sr., 6-0, 200 (3 carries, 32 yards)
OL Jordan McCray, Jr., 6-4, 311
DB Kevion Gabriel, Sr., 5-10, 175
DB Chris McDonald, Sr., 6-2, 185
QB Kademon Graff, Sr., 5-10, 165 (11 of 16, 44 yards; 4 carries, 15 yards)

John Tyler

DL DeKalen Goodson, Sr., 6-3, 215 (10 tackles, 3 for loss, 2 QB pressures; committed to Houston)
LB Tre Allison, Sr., 6-2, 220 (8 tackles, 1 PBU; committed to SMU)
RB Cameron Grant, Jr., 5-9, 175 (15 carries, 200 yards, 2 TDs)
OL Chance Billington, Jr., 6-3, 280
QB Devlen Woods, Jr., 5-8, 165 (10 of 16, 134 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT; 10 carries, 76 yards)
RB Roderick Hawkins, Jr., 5-8, 190 (9 carries, 138 yards, 1 TD)
WR Ke'Andre Street, Jr., 6-4, 195 (5 catches, 79 yards, 2 TDs)
WR Michael Givens-Washington, Sr., 5-8, 165 (3 catches, 25 yards)

Just the facts

John Tyler and Ennis have met in each of the three previous seasons, with JT coming out on top the last two years.
Since 2009, Ennis and John Tyler have combined for nine seasons with 10 wins or more.
Ennis dropped its season opener last week when Dallas South Oak Cliff scored on a 7-yard touchdown run as time expired.
Since winning the 2014 state championship, Ennis has yet to win a playoff game.
Ennis averaged less than five yards per passing completion last week.
John Tyler rolled up 657 yards of offense, including 509 rushing, in its season-opening win over Plano West.
Under head coach Ricklan Holmes, John Tyler is 13-7 in non-district games.
John Tyler averaged more than 11 yards per rushing attempt last week.

Key matchup: John Tyler rushing attack vs. Ennis defensive front. If one thing was made clear in Week 1 it was this: John Tyler has the talent and the desire to run the football. In last week's 49-13 season-opening rout of Plano West, JT rolled up more than 500 rushing yards, led by the 200-yard, two-touchdown effort of junior running back Cameron Grant.

But it wasn't just Grant. He was followed by junior Roderick Hawkins, who ran for 138 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, and the duo of running back Victor Campbell and quarterback Devlen Woods, who combined for 161 yards and a touchdown.

The success on the ground helped make the debut of Woods behind center a smooth one. Woods did throw an interception in his first career varsity start, but did complete 10 of 16 attempts and pass for a pair of touchdowns.

If Ennis is to have a chance at slowing down the John Tyler offense, it must find a way to contain JT's high-power rushing attack. In last week's one-point loss to Dallas South Oak Cliff, Ennis surrendered 234 yards on the ground, including the game-deciding touchdown with no time remaining.

Don't be surprised if: John Tyler is forced to make a few more plays in the passing game Friday night. After watching film, it would seem likely that Ennis will do everything in its power to stop JT's ground attack from dictating the game. That could mean a few more run blitzes or seven- and eight-man fronts.

If that's the case, expect John Tyler to take some shots down the field. Woods has plenty of targets in the passing game to work with. Junior receiver Ke'Andre Street is a physical mismatch for most opposing defensive backs, and a prime red-zone option, while slot receiver Michael Givens-Washington utilizes his speed and elusiveness to make big plays.