WHAT’S ON TAP TONIGHT | PT hosts Lindale, WR hosts New Diana, and, oh: Troup hosts Arp!!
A pair of teams not named Kilgore or Chapel Hill are playing for the outright lead in District 8-4A, Division I.
It’s been a minute or two since anyone else could say that.
Pine Tree, ranked 10th in the state in the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football poll of Class 4A, Division I teams, hosts Lindale – number two in said poll – tonight at 7:30 p.m., a pair of teams that are undefeated in the district.
And Lindale is undefeated, period, a 6-0 record and averages 47 points per game. On the other side: the Eagles are allowing 29 a game.
That might be music to the ears of PT coach Jason Bachman and his quarterback, Colton Croft, who’s thrown for 1,195 yards, 17 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions all season.
The Pirates are 4-2 overall, with wins over Gilmer and Kilgore in that mix. And they have several of what we at ETBlitz call “dangerous” players on their roster. Croft, of course, but also Bosston Johnson, who has 13 catches for 374 yards and five touchdowns on offense, but also has four interceptions, one for a touchdown, an 75 tackles as a defensive back.
There’s also Rashaad Wofford, who splits time at wide receiver and in the Pirates’ secondary, and running back KD Johnson, with 792 yards and six touchdowns on 100 carries, and also two touchdowns and 13 catches).
For Lindale, coach Chris Cochran has quarterback David Lindig back in the lineup. Lindig has thrown for 945 yards and 15 touchdowns, but has also ran for 224 yards and two scores. Lindig has several targets, including Reed Carnathan, Andre Foster and Carter Hill – Carnathan alone has 21 catches for 414 yards and eight touchdowns, and on defense, he has four sacks.
The Eagles are not a one-trick offense, either. Hank Thurman leads the team in rushing: 829 yards and 13 touchdowns on 123 carries, and also has six catches for 137 yards and two scores.
After tonight, Lindale hosts Kilgore (Oct. 23), visits Palestine (Oct. 30) and hosts Jacksonville (Nov. 5) to round out the schedule.
The Pirates have a trip to Chapel Hill on Oct. 23, a home date against Henderson (Oct. 30) and a trip to Bullard (Nov. 6) remaining on their schedule.
Tonight, winner is all alone atop the district, and the loser is in second place. Nothing will be set in stone after tonight, but it’s a big game.
It’s not the only big game on tap tonight, though.
Kilgore hosts Palestine in another District 8-4A, Division I game (Our story, KILGORE WELCOMES ‘CATS TONIGHT | Bulldogs host Palestine in big district game); Henderson (3-3) visits Jacksonville (2-4) at the ol’ haunted Tomato Bowl; a week after taking down top-10 Pleasant Grove, Gilmer (5-1) hosts Pittsburg (3-3); Tatum (4-2) looks to get back on track after slipping in Atlanta last week – the Eagles host Gladewater (3-3); Sabine (2-4) visits Liberty-Eylau (2-4) in Texarkana in a game between two teams looking to take the next step in improving; White Oak (0-6) is still looking for the first win of the Tanner Thiel era as coach – the Roughnecks host Atlanta (4-2) tonight; West Rusk (5-1), maybe the most pleasant surprise of the season, will host equally 5-1 New Diana in what night be the night’s most underrated game; Beckville (3-4) hosts Harleton (2-5) in a key district game; oh, and there’s this: No. 3 Troup (5-1) hosts Arp (5-1) in a huge game in 10-3A, Division II.
Carthage routed Spring Hill in Longview, 63-13, last night (our story: ‘DAWGS TOP 4A-DII (NO SURPRISE) | Gilmer sixth; PT 10th in 4A-DI; Troup back to No. 3 in 3A-DII) and Overton has an open date.