Tenaha Shoots for Second Consecutive Region III Championship Friday vs. Frost

Class A Division II Region III
Final

Tenaha Tigers (8-4)
vs.
Frost Polar Bears (12-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Van Memorial Stadium

Coaches
Tenaha: Terry Ward
Frost: Eric Blenden

Road To Regional Final

Tenaha

• Bi-district: bye
• Area: def. Overton, 42-8
• Regional semifinal: def. Bremond, 38-7

Frost

• Bi-district: def. Detroit, 28-14
• Area: Chilton, 16-12
• Regional semifinal: def. Mount Enterprise, 38-14

Next week: Winner plays Burton (11-1) or Falls City (10-2) in a 1A Division II state semifinal.

Playmakers

Tenaha

• RB/LB Chavis Gregory, Jr. (177 carries, 1,254 yards, 17 TDs; 1 TD catch; 51 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 2 forced fumbles, 1 kick block)
• OL/LB DeAaron Roland, Sr. (104 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 2 recoveries)
• QB/DB J.R. Hill, Jr. (85 of 187, 1,268 yards, 15 TDs, 17 INTs; 72 carries, 477 yards, 3 TDs; 54 tackles, 4 INTs, 3 fumble recoveries, 11 pass breakups)
• WR/DB Keontas Davis, Jr. (42 catches, 766 yards, 10 TDs; 62 tackles, 7 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 7 pass breakups)
• DL Denzel Williams, Jr. (74 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovery)
• ATH Cobe Caraway, Soph. (67 carries, 560 yards, 4 TDs; 53 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 3 recoveries)
• WR/DB D'Andre Thomas, Soph. (17 catches, 214 yards, 2 TDs; 46 tackels, 5 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 3 recoveries, 7 pass breakups)
• WR/LB T.J. Thomas, Soph. (44 carries, 233 yards; 12 catches, 202 yards, 2 TDs; 64 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble)

Frost

• RB Danial Steels (201 rushing yards, 3 TDs last week vs. Mount Enterprise)
• RB Robert Worley (1 rushing TD last week vs. Mount Enterprise)
• QB Jacob Stroder
• ATH Woody Woods
• OL Colton McGill
• WR Josh Riojas
• WR Cody Campbell

Just the facts

• Tenaha averages 30.7 points per game and allows 18.1.
• Frost averages 36.0 points per game and allows 14.8.
• Tenaha has outscored its last four opponents 168-21.
• None of the Tigers' four opponents in that span has scored more than eight points.
• Tenaha has won six consecutive points and beaten five of those opponents by at least 24 points.
• Tenaha has held its opponents to 12.5 points per game during the six-game winning streak.
• Frost has won six consecutive games and beaten five of those opponents by at least 14 points.
• Frost has held its foes to 11.0 points per game during the six-game winning streak.
• Frost ran for 386 yards on 62 carries last week vs. Mount Enterprise.
• Mount Enterprise is the lone common opponent between the two teams. Tenaha beat the Wildcats 35-32 in October.
• Frost is in the fourth round of the playoffs for the second time in school history (1989).

Key matchup: Tenaha's defensive front vs. Frost's running game. Frost pounded Mount Enterprise into submission a week ago, taking chunk after chunk of yardage en route to a 24-point victory against a team that played Tenaha within a field goal during district play. Frost ran the ball 62 times and averaged 6.2 yards per carry to amass almost 400 yards on the ground. Mount Enterprise had a difficult time countering with its usually potent ground game because standout fullback Hunter Ammons was banged up from the week before. Tenaha's defensive front must be prepared for the Polar Bears, who will run at them and run at them and run at them some more. Players such as Denzel Williams and DeAaron Roland, the Tigers' veteran middle linebacker, need big games to help Tenaha get the Polar Bears off the field and allow J.R. Hill, Chavis Gregory, and company the opportunity to build a lead. If the Tigers are able to do that, Frost's run-heavy offensive scheme may have a tough time matching scores, especially if the two fumbles the Polar Bears suffered a week ago are a sign of ball-security issues.

Don't be surprised if: This game is a doozy. Friday night's game Athens is an intriguing matchup of varying styles matching Tenaha's spread offense agains Frost's virtually run-exclusive scheme. Tenaha has played teams like that this season, but have the Tigers seen a team that runs it as well as the 12-win Polar Bears? One good thing for Tenaha is the Tigers are playing better now than they have all season, as evidenced by the 147-point cumulative advantage the Tigers have on their last four opponents. Frost's record and the Polar Bears' history-matching feat -- reaching the fourth round for the second time in school history -- give them a healthy dose of momentum entering this Region III championship, but Tenaha has the pedigree and seemingly even more momentum if the Tigers' recent victory margins are to be trusted. Tenaha's chances of reaching the state semifinals for the second consecutive season are good.