Friday night will bring a clash of one of East Texas’ biggest rivalries when the #5 Henderson Lions travel to the #6 Carthage Bulldogs. With TCU commits Lackendrick Van Zandt in the backfield and Tristan Ebner on the outside, quarterback Trae Hall will lead 5-0 Henderson into Carthage, where they won the last time they visited by a score of 38-16 in 2014.
Hall has thrown for 542 yards and eight touchdowns to start the year, and Ebner has been on the receiving end of almost all of it. With 20 catches for 409 yards and seven touchdowns, Ebner has solidified himself as one of the most dangerous receiving targets in all of 4A, if not the entire state.
To complement this dangerous Henderson passing attack is running back Lackendrick Van Zandt, who is just 39 yards away from eclipsing the 500 yard mark for the season. Along with his 461 yards, Van Zandt has also scored seven touchdowns through his team’s first five games. On the other side of the ball, Henderson has also proved they can play with the best of them. Led by linebacker Ty Blanton and defensive end De’Braylon Garrett, the Henderson defense has allowed just 15 points per game. However, they haven’t seen a team like Carthage yet this season.
Bulldog quarterback Kason Davis has led his team to a 3-0 start to begin their 2016 campaign. Davis has thrown for 754 yards and 10 touchdowns so far his senior year. Alongside him in the backfield is running back Keaontay Ingram who presents all sorts of problems for defenses that have to also prepare for Davis and the Bulldogs spread attack.
The Carthage offense has scored 37 points per game this year, including 55 against powerhouse Gilmer. Led by defensive end Tre Gatlin, the Bulldog defense continues to thrive. Two weeks ago, the Bulldogs held Gilmer, who averages 57 points per game, to a mere 37 points en route to a huge 55-37 victory. With two explosive offenses, the defenses will dictate the winner in this clash of undefeated rivals.
