No. 3 Tenaha Tigers (2-0)

Vs.

No. 10 White Oak Roughnecks (3-0)

7:30 p.m.

Roughneck Stadium, White Oak

 

Coaches
  • Tenaha: Terry Ward
  • White Oak: Kris Iske

 


Last week
  • Tenaha: rained out vs. Shelbyville
  • White Oak: def. Spring Hill, 22-19 in overtime

 

Next week
  • Tenaha: vs. Alto, Sept. 26
  • White Oak: at Bullard, Sept. 26

 

Playmakers

Tenaha

  • RB/DB Cobe Caraway, Sr., 5-9, 168 (402 yards, 5 TDs, 42 carries)
  • WR/DB DeAndre Thomas, Sr., 6-1, 170 (137 yards, 9 catches)
  • ATH T.J. Thomas, Sr., 5-8, 165 (310 total yards, 3 passing TDs)
  • DL Blaine Cummings, Jr. (17 tackles)
  • OL Calvin Estes, Jr.
  • LB DeMarcus Perry, Jr. (24 tackles)
  • OL Charles Reed, Jr. 
  • OL Luis Campos, Jr.

White Oak
  • DB Jake Pullen, Sr., 6-3, 165
  • RB/LB Zach Rowe, Jr., 6-0, 180
  • PK Jack Rogers, Sr., 5-11, 170
  • WR Dax Davis, Jr.
  • WR Gavin Senterfit, Jr.
  • OL Logan Rowe, Soph.
  • LB Josh Hampton, Sr.
Just the facts
  • Tenaha will be playing outside of Class 2A for the second time this season. It defeated TAPPS member Bullard Brook Hill, 21-15, two weeks ago.
  • Dating back to its 2011 Class 1A Division II state championship, Tenaha is 11-4 in non-district games and 6-1 against teams outside the modern 2A level.
  • Tenaha has not lost a regular season road game since Sept. 6, 2013, at Garrison.
  • White Oak and Tenaha will meet for the first time Friday.
  • Both teams lost in their respective classifications' state semifinal game last season.
  • White Oak has outscored opponents this season 113-38.
  • Tenaha is the Associated Press' No. 3 school in Class 2A.
  • White Oak is No. 10 in the Class 3A poll.

 

 

Tenaha running back Cobe Caraway, pictured at the 2014 ETSN.fm Football Recruiting Combine, leads a running game that has controlled the tempo in its first two games. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Tenaha running back Cobe Caraway, pictured at the 2014 ETSN.fm Football Recruiting Combine, leads a running game that has controlled the tempo in its first two games. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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Key matchup: Tenaha's running game versus White Oak's defense. The Tigers love to run the ball and usually do it with great success. It's going to be up to a solid Roughnecks defense to play true to the favorite card. Cobe Caraway, T.J. Thomas and a cast of other supporting Tenaha runners are tough to bring down. Just ask the comparable Brook Hill defense.

The Roughnecks' defense is anchored by senior defensive back Jake Pullen. He was a Class 2A First-Team, All-State selection as a junior. Linebackers Josh Hampton and Zach Rowe should add problems for Tenaha's ground game.

If White Oak can force the Tigers out of their running preference, the Roughnecks will be in great shape to win the game.

Defensively, Tenaha beat down a similarly good set of Joaquin runners in its season-opening win, 39-8. The next week, the unit successfully held Brook Hill quarterback Grant Hanks and the Guard offense to 272 total yards and 15 points. Hanks threw for 441 yards and six touchdowns the week prior against Edgewood.

White Oak has some great offensive weapons to counter Tenaha's defense. Receivers Dax Davis and Gavin Senterfit plus Rowe as a running back helped the Roughnecks torch their first two opponents -- Redwater, Mt. Vernon -- and hang tough against a larger Spring Hill school for an overtime win.

Don't be surprised if: Tenaha stays in the game the whole way. This is not some college-styled game where the Tigers are coming for a visit to collect a paycheck and take a beating from a larger school. Tenaha is a very intimidating team on the Class 2A level. There aren't many coaches on the level seeking the Tigers for a non-district game. Head coach Terry Ward's team has a history of playing up a classification for the sake of fielding a complete non-district schedule and finding success on the road. White Oak will need to play a complete game Friday.

White Oak's Jake Pullen helped guide the 2013 Roughnecks to a state semifinal appearance against Cameron Yoe, a narrow 24-21 loss. He was named an All-State defensive back for his efforts. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
White Oak's Jake Pullen helped guide the 2013 Roughnecks to a state semifinal appearance against Cameron Yoe, a narrow 24-21 loss. He was named an All-State defensive back for his efforts. (Christopher R. Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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