Streaking John Tyler Looks to Avenge 2010 Playoff Loss to Wylie

Class 4A Division I Region II
Area Playoff

Wylie Pirates (5-6)
vs.
John Tyler Lions (10-1)

6 p.m. Friday
TMF Rose Stadium, Tyler

Coaches
Wylie: Bill Howard
John Tyler: Ricklan Holmes

Next week: Winner plays Frisco-Dallas Samuell winner in a 4A Division I Region II semifinal.

Playmakers

Wylie

• QB Carson Cook (181 of 307, 2,158 yards, 22 TDs, 5 INTs)
• WR Kalen Winkler (78 catches, 1,038 yards, 11 TDs)
• WR Freddy Gibbs (22 catches, 478 yards, 6 TDs)
• RB Leland Dotson (45 carries, 246 yards, 1 TD)
• ATH Kameron Kelly (37 of 49, 479 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INTs; 39 carries, 220 yards, 4 TDs)

John Tyler

• QB Greg Ward, Sr., 5-11, 165 (174 of 247, 2,831 yards, 33 TDs, 0 INTs; 127 carries, 613 yards, 9 TDs; committed to Houston)
• WR Fred Ross, Sr., 6-1, 185 (54 catches, 1,104 yards, 16 TDs; 23 carries, 151 yards, 3 TDs; committed to Oklahoma State)
• DE Tyus Bowser, Sr., 6-3, 230 (52 tackles, 15 sacks, 12 QB pressures, 1 pass break-up, 4 forced fumbles, 2 recoveries)
• ATH DeQuante Woods, Sr., 5-11, 185 (67 carries, 430 yards, 9 TDs; 18 catches, 174 yards, 1 TD; 42 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT)
• WR/DB Darion Flowers, Sr., 6-0, 180 (44 catches, 792 yards, 7 TDs; 27 tackles, 1 INT, 3 pass break-ups)
• LB Richard Gipson, Sr., 6-2, 220 (94 tackles, 1 INT, 3 forced fumbles)
• WR Justice Liggins, Sr., 6-1, 190 (36 catches, 393 yards, 5 TDs)

Just the facts

• This is the second playoff meeting between Wylie and John Tyler in the last three seasons. The Pirates defeated JT, 20-16, in a 2010 Class 4A Division I state quarterfinal played at Wylie High School.
• Wylie was a Class 5A D-II state runner-up in 2008, losing 17-3 to Katy in the title game. Since '08, the Pirates have been up and down, going 36-26.
• The Pirates held down a Mount Pleasant offense that came into last week's bi-district playoff averaging 48.8 points per game. Wylie limited the Tigers to just 241 total yards.
• John Tyler enters Friday's clash on the heels of a record-setting offensive performance. The Lions set a school mark with 77 points and amassed 702 yards of total offense in the rout of Waxahachie.
• Over the last six weeks, the Lions are averaging 54.8 points and 533 yards per game.
• Recent history suggests Friday's matchup will be high scoring. In JT's last three second-round playoff games (all Lions victories), the average score has been 52-37.

Key matchup: John Tyler passing game vs. Wylie secondary. Until a team proves it can stop the Lions' aerial attack, this will continue to be the key matchup in games involving John Tyler. It'd be hard to find a more efficient quarterback than JT's Greg Ward, who has totaled 3,444 yards of offense and 42 touchdowns. Ward has gone 247 passing attempts this season without throwing an interception. Since district play began on Oct 12, he has completed 77 percent of his throws for 1,831 yards and 21 TDs. Ward and his receivers will be going up against a Wylie defense that held down Mount Pleasant's dynamic QB-WR duo of Montravious James and K.D. Cannon. James was averaging more than 318 passing yards a game before the Pirates limited him to 137 yards with two interceptions last week. Cannon, one of the top underclassmen in the country, had just eight receptions for 81 yards after posting 96 catches for 1,516 yards and 25 TDs during the regular season. The main difference between Mount Pleasant and JT is the Lions' depth at the receiver position. Fred Ross leads the Lions with 54 receptions for 1,104 yards and 16 scores, but Darion Flowers and Justice Liggins have combined for 80 catches, 1,185 yards and 12 TDs.

Don't be surprised if: This one is much more low-scoring than most expect. Wylie enters with an impressive 35.3 points-per-game average, and JT has seemingly been scoring at will over the last several weeks. But quietly both defenses are enjoying solid seasons. Wylie began the year 0-5, but has won five of six thanks in part to an improved defense. John Tyler, meanwhile, is only giving up 14.3 points per game over the previous six weeks. Both offenses should make their fair share of big plays, but don't expect either one to set any new scoring records.