Tenaha Aims for Third Consecutive Class A D-II Region III Title Friday vs. Bremond

Class A Division II Region III

Final

Tenaha Tigers (10-1)

vs.

Bremond Tigers (12-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Bruce Field, Athens

Coaches

• Tenaha: Terry Ward
• Bremond: Jeff Kasowski

Last week

• Tenaha: won 28-16 vs. Chilton
• Bremond: won 28-7 vs. Lovelady

Next week

• Winner faces La Pryor and Falls City in a 1A D-II state semifinal.

Playmakers

Tenaha

• RB Chavis Gregory, Sr., 5-10, 210 (114 carries, 1,199 yards, 16 TDs; 9 catches, 91 yards, 5 TDs; 54 tackles, 7 for loss, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 punt block, 1 kick block)
• WR/DB Keontas Davis, Sr., 6-1, 160 (22 catches, 557 yards, 6 TDs; 1 rush TD; 41 tackles, 7 INTs, 1 fumble recovery)
• RB/DL Denzelle Williams, Sr., 5-11, 190 (18 carries, 142 yards, 3 TDs; 69 tackles, 28 for loss, 14 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries)
• QB J.R. Hill, Sr., 5-11, 160 (66 of 113, 1,176 yards, 15 TDs, 5 INTs; 66 carries, 384 yards, 4 TDs)
• DE/LB Jacoby Ivy, Sr., 5-10, 185 (70 tackles, 8 for loss, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fumble recovery)
• RB/LB T.J. Thomas, Jr. (60 carries, 380 yards, 5 TDs; 52 tackles, 4 for loss, 3 fumble recoveries)
• WR/DB D'andre Thomas, Jr., 6-1, 160 (18 catches, 320 yards, 3 TDs; 1 rush TD; 30 tackles, 3 for loss)
• DL Blaine Cummings, Soph. (68 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble)
• LB DeMarcus Perry, Jr. (45 tackles, 4 for loss, 1 sack)

Bremond

• QB/DB Cade Grych, Sr. (96 of 146, 1,694 yards, 19 TDs, 3 INTs; 62 carries, 225 yards, 7 TDs; 42 tackles, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery)
• ATH Harrison Hull, Sr. (72 carries, 459 yards, 4 TDs; 38 catches, 616 yards, 10 TDs; 181 tackles, 19 for loss, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, 2 kick blocks)
• DL Draven Denison, Sr. (118 tackles, 21 for loss, 9 sacks, 4 forced fumbles)
• OL/DL Colby Wilganowski, Sr. (132 tackles, 17 for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries)
• WR/DB Evan Sargent, Sr. (14 catches, 289 yards, 6 TDs; 65 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack, 8 INTs)
• ATH Rayandre Browning, Soph. (6 of 12, 121 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 38 carries, 195 yards, 5 TDs; 35 catches, 673 yards, 3 TDs; 38 tackles, 3 INT, 1 fumble recovery)
• RB/DB James Jones, Jr. (125 carries, 869 yards, 17 TDs; 23 tackles, 2 for loss, 2 INTs)
• RB Josh Anderson, Soph. (90 carries, 657 yards, 9 TDs)
• LB Mason Pruitt, Jr. (94 tackles, 6 for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble)

Just the facts

• Tenaha and Bremond's Friday night matchup marks the fourth consecutive season that the teams have faced each other in the playoffs.
• Bremond won in 2010, but Tenaha has won each of the last two meetings, including last year's 38-7 regional semifinal rout.
• Tenaha averages 41.6 points per game and allows 9.5
• Bremond averages 40.3 points per game and allows 8.5.
• Tenaha averages 376.2 total yards per game: 266.2 rushing, 110.0 passing.
• Bremond averages 361.2 total yards per game: 209.9 rushing, 151.3 passing.
• Tenaha has held 10 of its 11 opponents to 17 points or fewer. The only other game was a 41-29 win against Class 2A Sabine.
• None of Bremond's 12 opponents has scored more than 18 points.
• Tenaha has won nine consecutive games since a 17-10 loss at Garrison on Sept. 6.
• Bremond has held seven foes to single digits, including two shutouts.
• Tenaha has outscored its opponents 401-82 during the Tigers' nine-game winning streak.
• Chilton is the only common opponent between the two teams.
• Tenaha beat Chilton 28-16 last week.
• Bremond beat Chilton 21-14 in a Nov. 8 home game to close the regular season.

Key matchup: Line play. The battle in the trenches is important, but it takes an especially great significance in late-round games featuring teams that have similar offenses.

Bremond throws slightly more often than Tenaha, which leans a little more on the run than its Tiger counterparts. Chavis Gregory is having another big year for Tenaha with almost 1,200 entering Friday's contest.

Tenaha must find a way to get its ground game going. Quarterback J.R. Hill and receivers Keontas Davis and D'andre Thomas have the capability to connect for big plays, but Tenaha's bread and butter is no doubt Gregory going downhill behind his offensive line.

Bremond boasts much the same approach. Quarterback Cade Grych enters Friday's regional final averaging 141.2 passing yards per game, but James Jones, Josh Anderson, and Harrison Hull give Bremond a three-headed ball-carrying attack that is certainly the strength of the team's offense.

Which team can dictate the action at the line of scrimmage? That remains to be seen, but it can't hurt Tenaha to have a player as good as Denzelle Williams anchoring the front of its defensive unit. Bremond can say the same about Draven Denison.

Don't be surprised if: This game is a lot closer than last year's encounter. That's not to say that Tenaha isn't as good as last year; it's a statement on how seemingly improved Bremond is entering this contest.

Friday's game marks the fourth consecutive year these teams have collided in the playoffs, so they're definitely well-acquainted. Which team can impose its will on the other and secure a berth in the state semifinals?

Tenaha is aiming for its third consecutive trip to the final four after it played in the last two Class A Division II state championships (won it all in 2011, lost in the 2012 title game). Head coach Terry Ward's team is the likely favorite in this contest. Given that the weather could be less than ideal, Tenaha needs to protect the ball and play solid defense to avoid what would probably be considered a mild upset, despite Bremond's undefeated record.