PREVIEW: Tyler Lee Meets Rockwall in Another Must-Win Game
DISTRICT 11-6A
Tyler Lee Red Raiders (4-3, 1-3)
vs.
Rockwall Yellowjackets (2-5, 1-3)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Wilkerson-Sanders Memorial Stadium, Rockwall
Coaches
- Tyler Lee: Kurt Traylor
- Rockwall: Rodney Webb
Last week
- Tyler Lee: def. Mesquite, 49-20
- Rockwall: lost to Mesquite Horn, 31-30
Next week
- Tyler Lee: vs. North Mesquite, Nov. 3
- Rockwall: vs. Mesquite, Nov. 3
Playmakers
Tyler Lee
- QB Chance Amie, Sr., 6-5, 185 (85 of 146, 1,186 yards, 10 TDs, 6 INTs; 102 carries, 496 yards, 7 TDs; committed to Houston)
- RB Ladarius Wickware, Jr., 6-0, 190 (119 carries, 818 yards, 7 TDs; 9 catches, 81 yards, 0 TDs)
- DL Nathan Niedrauer, Sr., 6-1, 230 (54 tackles, 16 for loss, 5 sacks, 21 QB pressures, 2 forced fumbles)
- RB/LB Lanthony Simmons, 6-2, 210 (46 carries, 309 yards, 3 TDs; 6 catches, 118 yards, 1 TD; 35 tackles, 7 for loss, 2 sacks, 13 QB pressures, 2 INTs, 2 PBUs, 2 fumble recoveries)
- DB Rhett Parker, Sr., 5-8, 150 (68 tackles, 2 for loss, 1 INT)
- WR Te'vion Massey, Soph. (23 catches, 274 yards, 1 TD)
- WR Marquis Gray, Sr., 5-5, 140 (19 catches, 345 yards, 3 TDs)
- RB/LB Jordan Printers, Jr. (24 carries, 97 yards, 3 TDs; 26 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 sack, 1 QB pressure, 2 fumble recoveries)
Rockwall
- LB Alston Orji, Sr., 6-2, 230 (48 tackles, 7 for loss, 1 sack, 5 QB pressures, 3 forced fumbles, 2 PBUs; committed to Vanderbilt)
- LB Blake Barron, Sr., 6-0, 230 (46 tackles, 6 for loss, 2 sacks, 9 QB pressures; committed to Oklahoma State)
- QB Jacob Clark, Jr., 6-5, 210 (122 of 190, 1,860 yards, 19 TDs, 7 INTs; 47 carries, 57 yards, 3 TDs)
- WR Jaxon Smith, Soph., 5-11, 165 (52 catches, 843 yards, 3 TDs; 6 carries, 39 yards, 1 TD)
- WR Cameron Crayton, Sr., 6-2, 190 (44 catches, 654 yards, 10 TDs)
- DB Anfernee Orji, Jr., 6-1, 197 (43 tackles, 8 for loss, 2 sacks, 4 QB pressures, 1 INT, 5 PBUs)
- LB/DL Korrey Barron, Sr., 6-0, 220 (39 tackles, 12 for loss, 3 sacks, 3 QB pressures)
- RB Loyer Bailey, Sr., 5-11, 200 (133 carries, 790 yards, 8 TDs; 2 catches, 24 yards, 0 TDs)
Just the facts
- Tyler Lee has dropped five-straight games to Rockwall, allowing an average of 50.2 points in those losses.
- Rockwall won last year's meeting, 42-35.
- Tyler Lee is averaging 32.7 points and 452.1 yards per game -- 273.2 rushing and 178.9 passing.
- The Red Raiders snapped a 10-game district losing streak with last week's victory over Mesquite.
- Tyler Lee is allowing 30.7 points per game, and has forced 11 turnovers -- seven interceptions and four fumbles.
- Rockwall is averaging 36.9 points and 449 yards per game -- 178.9 rushing and 270.1 passing.
- The Yellowjackets' three district losses have come by a combined 12 points.
- Rockwall is allowing 35.1 points per game, and has forced eight turnovers -- three interceptions and five fumbles.
Key matchup: Rockwall passing attack vs. Tyler Lee secondary. Rockwall might have the best quarterback and receiving corps in the district. Junior quarterback Jacob Clark received his first Division I scholarship offer earlier this week from TCU, and has been torching opposing defenses all season. He comes into Friday's game averaging 265 passing yards per game, and has tossed 19 touchdowns already. The bulk of the targets go to two players -- sophomore Jaxon Smith and senior Cameron Crayton, who have combined for 96 receptions, 1,497 yards, and 13 touchdowns. That's 77 percent of the team's catches, 79 percent of the yards, and 68 percent of the touchdown receptions.
But in the midst of Rockwall's three-game district losing streak, the passing game's production has dropped significantly. Clark has seven touchdowns to six interceptions, and is averaging 205 yards through the air the last three weeks. Before that, Clark's TD:INT ratio was 12:1, and he was averaging 311 passing yards per game.
Tyler Lee's pass defense has only been tested once so far in district, and that came against Mesquite Horn. The Red Raiders had a tough time slowing down quarterback Jermaine Givens, who passed for 257 yards and a pair of touchdowns in that one. Lee will need its best effort of the season in the back end of its defense in order to knock off Rockwall on the road Friday night.
Don't be surprised if: Tyler Lee continues to feature quarterback Chance Amie and running back Ladarius Wickware in the running game. The Red Raiders were able to snap a 10-game district losing streak last week, and they did so by leaning on their two best offensive players. Amie, who has committed to Houston, only attempted 13 passes last Friday night, but that didn't matter. He rushed for 140 yards and four touchdowns to more than make up for that. Wickware, meanwhile, put together his fifth 100-yard game of the year with 143 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. If Lee wants to keep Rockwall's high-powered offense on the sidelines, big games from Amie and Wickware are a necessity.