Tyler Lee Hits the Road Against North Mesquite In Search of Its First District Win

TYLER LEE RED RAIDERS (1-4, 0-1)
AT
NORTH MESQUITE STALLIONS (1-3, 0-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
Memorial Stadium, Mesquite

Coaches
Tyler Lee: Darrell Piske
North Mesquite: Mike Robinson

Last week
Tyler Lee: lost to Mesquite Horn, 49-24
North Mesquite: idle

Next week
Tyler Lee: idle
North Mesquite: at Rockwall

Playmakers
Tyler Lee

RB LaQuintas Wallace, Sr., 5-10, 185 (85 carries, 504 yards, 6 TDs)
QB Raleigh Poster, Jr. (34 of 67, 490 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs)
RB LeTerrance Simmons (7 carries, 99 yards last week vs. Mesquite Horn)
FB/LB Marcus White, Sr., 5-6, 185 (4 carries, 25 yards, 1 TD last week vs. Mesquite Horn)
OT Zacchaeus Page, Sr., 6-4, 300

North Mesquite

RB Ta'Varius Luke, Jr. (56 carries, 464 yards, 4 TDs; 7 catches, 197 yards)
RB Corey Hunt, Jr. (76 carries, 307 yards, 5 TDs)
QB Cody Williams, Jr. (21 of 49, 388 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs; 13 carries, 46 yards, 2 TDs)
WR Kayveon Brown, Jr. (6 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD)
OL Xavier Hardy, Sr., 6-0, 238

Just the facts

Tyler Lee has lost six consecutive district games, the last win coming in the final week of the 2010 season -- a 44-28 victory over North Mesquite.
The Red Raiders offense has shown improvement over last year. Through five games, Lee is averaging 22.4 points per game. It averaged just 15.5 all of the 2011.
Lee's defense has been its weak link thus far, giving up an average of 30.6 points per contest.
Since 2004, North Mesquite is just 36-48 with just one playoff appearance, which came after a 4-6 regular season in 2007.
The Stallions knocked Tyler Lee out of the playoffs with a 16-10 overtime win in the area round of the 2000 playoffs. Future University of Texas standouts linebacker Aaron Harris and cornerback Tarell Brown were members of that team.
Tyler Lee leads the all-time series 7-2, having won seven consecutive meetings from 2004-10.

Tyler Lee RB LaQuintas Wallace. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)

Key matchup: Tyler Lee running game vs. North Mesquite run defense. Despite their struggles, the Red Raiders have been consistent with running the football. With LaQuintas Wallace, Marcus White and LeTerrance Simmons (97 yards last week vs. Mesquite Horn), Lee has a capable stable of backs to turn to. The more success Lee has on the ground, the more problematic its play-action passing game becomes for opposing defenses. North Mesquite has had its fair share of shortcomings thus far, but the Stallions have been decent in stopping the run, holding opponents to a

Tyler Lee OL Zacchaeus Page. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)

respectable 150 yards per game on the ground. In order for the Red Raiders to avoid a crippling 0-2 start to district, the Red Raiders will need to establish a solid rushing attack against a defense that has not allowed more than 181 rushing yards to any opponent this year.

Don't be surprised if: We find out what direction this year's Lee team is heading after Friday's game. First-year coach Darrell Piske was very critical of his seniors' attitudes following last week's blowout loss to Mesquite Horn. A victory could do wonders for the confidence level of the team, but a loss could send this year's Red Raiders spiraling in the other direction. One way or the other, this is a big week for the Lee football program.