This week, TexasHSFootball heads out east to cover a high-profile showdown to watch two of the best in Class 4A duke it out as the West Orange-Stark Mustangs take on the Kennedale Wildcats. The two teams meet up at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night in Nacogdoches.
West Orange-Stark enters Friday’s showdown with a 30-game winning streak thanks in part to a strong defense that gave up just 58 points en route to a state title last season. The two-time defending Class 4A Division II state champions have picked up where they left off from last year, despite the start of their season being delayed due to Hurricane Harvey. Mustang great and aptly-named signal caller Jack Dallas is gone, but Chaka Watson and running back Kavyn Cooper are there to lead the Mustangs attack.
On the other side, Kennedale is coming off an appearance in the state semifinals last season and are off to another strong 4-0 start in 2017. The Wildcats pride themselves on running the football and have two strong backs to go with in junior De’Shaun Kirven and senior Jaden Knowles. In just four games, the pair have rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and 25 touchdowns in just four games. The Wildcats are also coming off a win over Whitehouse, a 5A program, and are looking to keep that momentum going.
Last year, Kennedale fell to West Orange-Stark 45-21, but it was the most points that anyone would score on the Mustangs all season long. With a lot of new starters on defense for the Mustangs and a strong rushing attack from Kennedale, can they snap the winning streak? Or will West Orange-Stark make their streak 31 in a row? We’ll find out Friday night in East Texas.
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