PREVIEW: No. 1 Carthage Looks to Keep Rolling Against Brazosport

CLASS 4A DIVISION I
Area Playoff

Carthage Bulldogs (11-0)

vs.

Brazosport Exporters (8-3)

6 p.m. Friday

Texan Drive Stadium, Porter

Coaches

Carthage: Scott Surratt
Brazosport: Mike Ferrell

Last week

Carthage: def. Huffman Hargrave, 46-10
Brazosport: def. Houston Worthing, 66-0

Next week

Winner faces either Silsbee or Bay City, regional semifinals

Playmakers

Carthage

RB Keaontay Ingram, Sr., 6-0, 200 (129 carries, 1,566 yards, 26 TDs; 16 catches, 136 yards, 1 TD; committed to Texas)
WR Dewaylon Ingram, Sr., 6-1, 170 (45 catches, 778 yards, 11 TDs)
LB Mykel Gates, Sr., 5-11, 230 (108 tackles, 15 for loss, 2 sacks, 5, QB pressures, 3 PBUs, 1 forced fumble, 2 recoveries; 2 defensive TDs)
WR/DB Mekhi Colbert, Sr., 5-9, 190 (34 catches, 543 yards, 4 TDs; 12 carries, 144 yards; 20 tackles, 1 for loss, 3 INTs, 4 PBUs)
QB Gunner Capps, Jr., 5-11, 170 (153 of 249, 2,482 yards, 31 TDs, 6 INTs)
DL Quinton Owens, Soph., 6-3, 220 (53 tackles, 8 for loss, 5 sacks, 14 QB pressures, 2 PBUs, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 defensive TD)
DB Jacorey Ware, Jr., 6-0, 155 (23 tackles, 7 INTs, 5 PBUs, 1 fumble recovery, 2 defensive TDs)
WR Dee Bowens, Sr., 5-7, 140 (41 catches, 869 yards, 13 TDs; 6 carries, 28 yards)

Brazosport

RB/DB Ameer King, Sr., 5-8, 175 (271 carries, 2,388 yards, 30 TDs; 15 catches, 325 yards, 3 TDs; 16 tackles, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery)
QB Jarvis Davis, Sr., 5-10, 155 (120 of 202, 1,609 yards, 16 TDs, 6 INTs; 126 carries, 754 yards, 11 TDs)
DL Jamarick Parsons, Sr., 6-2, 200 (105 tackles, 20 for loss, 8 sacks, 7 QB pressures, 2 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles)
DB Fabian Peoples, Sr., 5-11, 160 (36 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 sack, 4 INTs, 8 PBUs, 3 blocked kicks)
WR Jalen Johnson, Sr., 6-1, 150 (38 catches, 521 yards, 6 TDs)
DB Jermaine Ellis, Jr., 5-6, 134 (83 tackles, 1 sack, 2 PBUs, 1 forced fumble)
DL Darrael Preston, Soph. (59 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovery)
DB El'shaddai Edwards, Sr., 5-11, 170 (61 tackles, 1 INT, 1 PBU, 1 fumble recovery)

Just the facts

The cumulative record of Carthage's 2017 opponents is 57-58 (.496).
Carthage is averaging 46 points and 444.9 yards per game -- 219.3 rushing and 225.6 passing.
Bulldogs receiver Dee Bowens catches a touchdown every 3.1 receptions.
Carthage is allowing 19.1 points, and has forced 28 turnovers -- 15 interceptions and 13 fumbles. The Bulldogs have seven defensive touchdowns.
The cumulative record of Brazosport's 2017 opponents is 58-47 (.542).
Brazosport is averaging 41.5 points and 463.9 yards per game -- 317.6 rushing and 146.3 passing.
Exporters running back Ameer King has rushed for at least 143 yards and one touchdown in every game this season.
Brazosport is allowing 30.5 points per game, and has forced 20 turnovers -- 10 interceptions and 10 fumbles.

Key matchup: Brazosport rushing attack vs. Carthage defensive front. The Exporters have an explosive offense that's led by its dynamic senior running back Ameer King, who enters Friday's area-round playoff game with more than 2,700 yards from scrimmage and 33 touchdowns.

King, who has rushed for at least 143 yards in all 11 games this season, is the key to a Brazosport offense that scores an average of 41.5 points per game. And while quarterback Jarvis Davis is a capable passer, he's also a big threat in the running game with more than 750 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He has three 100-yard rushing games to his credit this season.

Carthage's defense has been steady all season long. The Bulldogs only allow 19.1 points per game, and have given up at least 30 points in a game only twice this season.

Carthage is solid at all three levels of its defense, and in particular in the front seven. Linemen Desmond Hicks, Quinton Owens, Darrian Ingram, and Montario Wilson have combined to make 35 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile the linebacking corps might be the best unit, pound for pound, in all of East Texas. The trio of Mykel Gates, Ahmad Brown, and Jose DeJulian have teamed up for 305 tackles (53 for loss), and are responsible for six takeaways and two defensive touchdowns.

Don't be surprised if: Bulldogs running back Keaontay Ingram has a big night. With more than 1,500 yards and 26 touchdowns for the year, off games are a rare occurrence. He benefits from being surrounded by a solid offensive line along with a strong-armed quarterback in Gunner Capps and explosive weapons at receiver. The wideout trio of Dee Bowens, Dewaylon Ingram, and Mekhi Colbert have burned opposing defenses with regularity.

Often times, teams will bring an extra defender up for run support, leaving one-on-one matchups downfield in the passing game. Bowens, in particular, has reaped the benefits with 13 touchdowns on just 41 receptions and a yards-per-catch average of 21.2.

Brazosport can't afford to fall behind to a Carthage team that has the ultimate closer in Keaontay Ingram, so expect the Exporters to drop into coverage more than most defenses might when going against one of the top running backs in the nation. And that could mean big numbers for Keaontay Ingram.