PREVIEW: Chapel Hill and Tatum Look To Bounce Back From Week 2 Losses

Chapel Hill (1-1)

vs.

Tatum Eagles (1-1)

7:30 p.m. Friday

Eagle Stadium, Tatum

Coaches

Chapel Hill: Jason Hooker
Tatum: Craig Barker

Last week

Chapel Hill: lost to Whitehouse 28-14
Tatum: lost to Henderson 21-20

Next week

Chapel Hill: vs. Gladewater, Sept. 22
Tatum: at Wills Point, Sept. 22

Playmakers

Chapel Hill

RB/LB Adrian Berry, Sr., 5-10, 190
RB/DB Hunter Branin, Sr., 5-10, 178
WR Demarcus Attaway, Sr., 5-9, 160
OL Sammy Cintron, Sr., 5-11, 220
WR Robbie Williams, Jr., 6-3, 180
DL Khristion Little, Jr., 5-11, 220
WR/DB Kaine Perkins, Sr., 6-1, 170
QB Khalan Griffin, Soph., 5-10, 180

Tatum

OL Drake Centers, Sr., 6-4, 295 (committed to Texas State)
RB Cedric White, Sr., 5-9, 160
QB OB Jones, Jr., 6-2, 178
OL Bryan Jackson, Sr., 6-3, 280
WR/DB C.J. Biggs, Sr., 5-8, 150
DL James Jakubowski, Sr., 6-5, 230
WR/DB Jachais Jenkins, Jr., 5-9, 175
FB/LB Jaden Marcott, Sr., 6-2, 204

Just the facts

Chapel Hill is 3-2 against Van since 2008.
The Eagles and Bulldogs played each other last season, with Tatum winning 20-7.
Chapel Hill QB Khalan Griffin broke free for touchdown runs of 58 and 98 against Whitehouse this past week.
Tatum lost by only one point to Henderson in Week 2, a missed PAT costing it the victory.
Eagles running back Cedric White has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the past two weeks, including 177 against Henderson.
Chapel Hill running back Hunter Branin had more than 200 yards rushing in Week 1, but was held to only 26 against Whitehouse in Week 2.

Key matchup: Chapel Hill running game against the Tatum defense. Chapel Hill's running game was fantastic in Week 1, as evidenced by Branin's 201 yards. In Week 2, it left plenty to be desired.

Chapel Hill's Khalan Griffin scored on a 58-yard touchdown run and a 98-yard touchdown run during the Bulldogs' 28-14 loss to Whitehouse last week. (© ETSN.fm)

Sure, the Bulldogs finished with 203 yards on 36 carries, which looks good on paper. However, if you take out Khalan Griffin's two touchdown runs, it ends up as 47 yards on 34 carries. That's an average of just 1.4 yards per carry. It's no coincidence that Chapel Hill won its first game but fell to Whitehouse this past week.

The running game needs to step up if the Bulldogs hope to win.

It won't be easy against a Tatum defense that has looked solid thus far. After shutting out Arp, the Eagles held Henderson to 21 in Week 2.

Don't be surprised if: Cedric White has another big game. The Tatum running back is speedy, having amassed 278 yards in two weeks. He has 1,345 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.

It doesn't hurt that he is running behind a large offensive line. Drake Centers and Bryan Jackson are 6-4 and 6-3, respectively, the former a Texas State commit. White's shifty play style combined with the holes created by the line make Tatum a dangerous offense team.

It's also the reason Tatum will likely see its running back go for more than 100 yards for the third straight week.