PREVIEW: Lindale Battles Ennis to Climb to Top of District 17-5A
DISTRICT 17-5A
Ennis Lions (3-3, 1-0)
vs.
Lindale Eages (4-2, 1-0)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Eagle Stadium, Lindale
Coaches
- Ennis: Jack Alvarez
- Lindale: Chris Cochran
Last week
- Ennis: def. Whitehouse, 34-10
- Lindale: def. Nacogdoches, 35-31
Next week
- Ennis: vs. Jacksonville, Oct. 27
- Lindale: at Corsicana, Oct. 27
Playmakers
Ennis
- RB Tycen Thompson, Sr., 5-10, 180 (102 carries, 617 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs, 107 receiving yards)
- DB Kevion Gabriel, Sr., 5-10, 185
- OL Jordan McCray, Jr., 6-3, 295
- LB K.D. Davis, Sr., 6-0, 195
- DB Chris McDonald, Sr., 6-2, 195
- RB James Harris, Jr., 5-9, 205 (75 carries, 581 yards, 7 TDs)
Lindale
- RB Jordan Robinson, Sr., 5-10, 185 (124 carries, 538 yards, 7 TDs; 9 catches, 188 yards, 1 TD)
- WR Colton Brown, Jr., 6-0, 185 (43 catches, 505 yards, 6 TDs)
- LB Justin Little, Sr., 5-10, 170 (45 tackles, 11 for loss, 2 sacks, 2 PBUs)
- QB Dillon Heinaman, Jr., 6-0, 225 (73-of-123, 1,047 yards, 8 TDs, 6 INTs)
- DB Kolin McCartney, Sr., 5-9, 180 (27 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 INT)
- DB Chase Crumpton, Jr., 6-0, 167 (12 tackles, 1 INT, 4 PBUs)
Just the facts
- Ennis is averaging 280.2 yards per game on the ground.
- The Lions are giving up an average of only 10 points per game in their past three games.
- Ennis' opponents are 21-17 this season (.553).
- Lindale's opponents are 19-19 this season (.500).
- The Eagles are averaging 305 yards per game.
- Lindale is on a three-game winning streak after starting the season 1-2.
- Ennis is 4-0 against Lindale since 2013.
- The Lions won last season's matchup, 41-28.
Key matchup: Ennis rushing attack against Lindale defense. Ennis is great at what it does, which is run the ball. The Lions put up 399 yards on a vaunted Whitehouse defense in Week 7. The duo of Tycen Thompson and James Harris have combined for more than 1,000 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. However, quarterback Kade Graff showed speed against Whitehouse, too.
Lindale will need Justin Little and company to step up and stop this rushing attack. Little leads the Eagles with 11 tackles for loss this season. Brian Edwards, who leads the team with 65 tackles, will also be key.
Slowing down Ennis is easier said than done. Thompson and Harris are both big tailbacks who don't mind contact. Lindale will need to come prepared to get physical. If it doesn't Ennis will run away with the win and likely the district lead.
Don't be surprised if: Dillon Heinaman looks to Colton Brown a lot. Brown has 43 catches for the Eagles this season. The next leading receiver, Jordan Robinson, has nine. Needless to say, Heinaman and Brown have developed chemistry.
Brown has turned his catches into 505 yards and six touchdown to become one of the premier receivers in the area. There should be no reason he slows down Friday. Lindale likes to play a balanced offense, and the Eagles average 174 yards per contest through the air.
Brown could be due for a 100-yard performance.