The Woodlands Highlanders (3-3, 1-1)
vs.
Lufkin Panthers (3-2, 1-0)

7:30 p.m. Friday
John Outlaw Memorial Field at Abe Martin Stadium, Lufkin

Coaches
The Woodlands: Mark Schmid
Lufkin: Todd Quick

Last week
The Woodlands: lost to College Station A&M Consolidated, 21-14
Lufkin: idle

Next week
The Woodlands: at College Station
Lufkin: at Bryan

Playmakers

The Woodlands

  • RB Patrick Carr, Soph. (90 carries, 706 yards, 6 TDs)
  • QB/P Blaine Gillespie, Sr. (78 of 130, 1,182 yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs; 48 carries, 147 yards, 6 TDs; 37.5 average on 12 punts)
  • WR Houston Brown, Sr. (29 catches, 510 yards, 4 TDs)
  • TE Jayme Taylor, Sr., 6-4, 215 (15 catches, 260 yards, 1 TD; committed to Northwestern)
  • OL Jonathan Huckins, Sr., 6-4, 306 (committed to Colorado)
  • OL Sam Kronshage, Sr., 6-5, 290 (committed to Colorado)
  • WR Sean McCanna, Jr. (23 catches, 400 yards, 2 TDs)
  • ATH Tyler Patrick, Jr. (17.2 average on 6 punt returns)

 

Lufkin

  • QB Tyler Stubblefield, Sr., 6-4, 205 (80 of 141, 1,178 yards, 13 TDs, 7 INTs; )
  • WR JaBryce Taylor, Sr., 6-2, 185 (35 catches, 534 yards, 4 TDs)
  • RB Kendrick Mapp, Sr., 5-10, 175 (61 carries, 450 yards, 5 TDs)
  • ATH Key'vantanie Coutee, Soph., 5-10, 170 (28 catches, 362 yards, 6 TDs)
  • DE Demontrai Lewis, Sr., 6-3, 215
  • DT D.J. Williams, Jr., 6-3, 285
  • WR Jamal Jeffery, Jr., 5-10, 170 (15 catches, 244 yards, 3 TDs)
  • DE James Moreland, Soph., 6-2, 210
  • OL Erik McCoy, Soph., 6-3, 255

 

Just the facts

  • The Woodlands averages 29.8 points per game and allows 28.0.
  • Lufkin averages 38.4 points per game and allows 37.2.
  • If you take out the scoring in Lufkin's 71-68 four overtime win at A&M Consolidated, the Panthers average 30.3 points per game and yield 29.5.
  • Lufkin has played The Woodlands each of the last eight seasons, going 6-2 against the Highlanders.
  • Lufkin beat The Woodlands 30-10 last season.
  • The Woodlands' only two wins in the last eight years against Lufkin came back-to-back in 2009-10.

 

Lufkin QB Tyler Stubblefield. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Lufkin QB Tyler Stubblefield. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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Key matchup: The Woodlands' secondary vs. Lufkin's receivers. Everybody in District 14-5A knew that Lufkin's passing game with senior Tyler Stubblefield throwing to a bevy of capable of targets would be hard to stop. Then they scored 71 points -- 45 in regulation -- against an A&M Consolidated team that held five-time defending 4A state champion Lake Travis (now in 5A) to 28 points the week before. Stubblefield can throw to rangy SMU-bound JaBryce Taylor, 14-5A's leading receiver, as well as shifty underclassmen Key'vantanie "KeKe" Coutee and Jamal Jeffery. That trio of receivers has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses and could do the same to The Woodlands, which has allowed 42 and 63 points, respectively, in two of its three losses. Lufkin must get those receivers in space to take advantage of their athleticism.

Lufkin WR JaBryce Taylor. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
Lufkin WR JaBryce Taylor. (Christopher Vinn, ETSN.fm)
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Don't be surprised if: This one goes down to the wire. The results against the lone common opponent (A&M Consolidated) point to what should be a highly competitive game against two teams that have virtually ruled the district they have shared for the past eight years. A lot is riding on this game. Lufkin, which had a bye last week, is the only team in 14-5A that has not lost a district game. The next five teams in the standings are 1-1, and The Woodlands College Park sits at the bottom at 0-1. Even if they already control their own destiny, the Panthers could put a stranglehold on the top spot in 14-5A with a win against The Woodlands. Not only would Lufkin be the only 2-0 team in the standings, but the Panthers would already have wins against two of their top competitors for the district crown as predicted entering the 2012 season. If The Woodlands wins, then the 14-5A race becomes an all-out scramble the final four weeks of the regular season.

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