AIM FOR THE KING, DON’T YOU MISS | Carthage, Athens meet again tonight in Tyler

What’s that phrase: if you come at the king, you best not miss?

Tonight, Athens takes a second shot at the king – Carthage – and this time, if they miss, there’s a price to pay.

That price: a ticket home.

Tonight, Carthage (13-0 THIS season) journeys to CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler, maintained by Tyler ISD, to take on District 8-4A, Division II rival Athens in a rematch of a wild regular season game. It’s a regional final rematch in round four of the UIL Class 4A, Division II playoffs at Rose, a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The winner gets either Brock (13-0) or Midland Greenwood (13-0) next week in the state semifinal.

The address to Rose Stadium: 609 Fair Park Drive, Tyler, TX, 75702.

Carthage is the visiting team for the game.

Tickets are $11 each for adults, $9 each for students and can be purchased here: Athens vs. Carthage  | tylerisd Box Office. Carthage fans should enter at gate seven. Gates open at 5:30.

Rose Stadium does have a strict clear-bag policy.

The game will be available on local radio for Carthage fans as usual (on KGAS 104.3-FM and its website), and for a subscription fee, streaming live video online here on the NFHS Network site (2025 UIL Football Regional Carthage High School vs. Athens High School – 12/05/2025 | Live & On Demand).

Carthage, of course, is the defending 4A-Division II state champion. In fact, they’re the 10-time state champions, having won all 10 under the tenure of coach Scott Surratt, who arrived at Carthage in 2007, and began leading the Bulldogs to them the following season.

Surratt’s Bulldogs have won 27 straight games, dating all the way back to game two of last season (after Kilgore beat them in the opening game in 2024). Carthage beat Waco La Vega in the state championship last year, and really only had two real competitive games this season: the season opener against Kilgore, and then the game against Athens in Carthage back on Oct. 17.

The Bulldogs took that one, too, but it was CLOSE.

This game features a TON of talent: two quarterbacks that are some of the best in the state (Carthage’s Jett Surratt and Athens’ David Richardson).

Richardson gave the Bulldogs all they wanted for four quarters before falling last time, and on the season, the Hornets’ signal-caller is 190-of-299 for 2,913 yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions, but has also ran for 1,011 yards and 15 additional touchdowns. Yeah – he’s a handful. Athens has won six straight games since that loss at Carthage and impressively, they’ve scored 670 points this year (51 points a game). They’re also allowing 30 points a game, but that’s a different story.

One would figure if Richardson is putting up numbers like that, he must have receivers that have big numbers, too.

One would be right.

Julious Brewer has 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns on 62 catches this season; Emanuel Moore has 69 catches for 1,179 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Athens’ running game is not as strong, but they do get the job done, between Richardson’s efforts – remember, he’s ran for over 1,000 yards this season – and their running backs, Charli Kiser, who has 771 yards and eight scores of his own coming into tonight, and Jabory Taylor, who only has 314 yards, but has 14 scores.

Defensively, keep an eye on Taylor and Eli Carnes, who both play linebacker. Carnes leads the Hornets with 135 tackles; he also has four sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, and 15 tackles for loss, which is an eye-opener. Taylor has 105 tackles, eight sacks, and two tackles for loss.

How ‘bout the defending champions?

Well, they ain’t chopped liver, we’ll tell you that.

Four Bulldogs just signed Wednesday to continue their education and playing careers at the next level.

Running back K.J. Edwards and linebacker DaQuives Beck both signed with Texas A&M. Linebacker Carson Crawford, who doubles as a very physical tight end, signed with Colorado. And receiver Keymian “Junior” Henderson signed with Mississippi State.

All four are key pieces to a Carthage team that – while it may be giving up more points than some of Surratt’s teams in the past – still is getting it done on the field, no matter what any critic might say.

Edwards has ran for 1,596 yards and 24 touchdowns this season, on 120 carries, and that’s with missing a handful of games with injury! He also has 223 yards and a score on 23 catches. His backfield teammate, Benny Smith, has 775 yards and 14 touchdowns on 104 carries.

So the Bulldogs’ running game is healthy.

But the passing game? Man, it’s like a brand new sportscar.

Senior quarterback Jett Surratt is 205-of-277 this season for 3,021 yards, 42 touchdowns and just five interceptions all season. Henderson has 27 catches for 368 yards and nine scores. J.D. Edwards has 46 catches for 716 yards and six scores! Jaden Jeffress, the tight end, has 38 or 673 and 10 touchdowns. For the sake of space, we’ll stop there, but you get the idea.

Defensively, Crawford has 103 tackles, 18 for loss, six sacks, and fills out the defensive stat sheet, Beck has also missed time this season, but still finished with 66 tackles, four for loss, and two defensive touchdowns. Defensive lineman Zay Owens has 61 tackles, 17 for loss, and six sacks.