Earlier this year, the Deshler Tigers and the Priceville Panthers took the field in the West Morgan High School Football game, and both teams showed a lot of skill and potential. Unfortunately, both teams were defeated.
Getting back to the business end of the AHSAA football season, the Tigers have not been at their best lately. Deshler High School finished the 2014 season as class 4A state runner up, a feat that hasn’t been duplicated since. On the flipside, West Morgan has enjoyed a resurgence under head coach Scott Smith. This matchup features the two top teams in the state in a single game. West Morgan’s biggest test of pride will be a hard fought battle against the defending Class 4A champions.
The Tigers are a plethora of high powered athletes, including a pair of the best offensive linemen in the state. In fact, West Morgan has allowed only a single sack in the past five games. The Tigers’ defense of the ball is exemplary, but a stout rushing attack is a must for a ranked team. This ain’t a sleeper. The Tigers will have two weeks to rest and recharge for the big show, which is likely to be one of the most exciting games of the season. The Tigers also have an interesting home front. Unlike the home front, the stoic Rebels haven’t been ruled out yet. Hopefully this will be the first of many wins to come in the near future. A resounding win will send the Tigers back to the AHSAA playoffs and set the stage for the rest of the season. If the Tigers can win out in the wild west, they may have their first ranked state playoff berth in the bag.
During the past three weeks, Priceville has scored 40 or more points in three of its games. In its victory over New Hope, Mason Cartee rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ running backs also rushed for six touchdowns against West Limestone. The winning streak is the longest in the show’s history. The Bulldogs also scored program-record points in their game against Westminster. Priceville is one win away from tying the program’s record for wins in a season.
Mason Cartee also scored five rushing touchdowns in the victory over Brewer. He had a 40-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second quarter. Cartee has 665 yards rushing and nine TDs on the season. He was named First Down Friday Night’s MVP.
Priceville also set a program record with its 41-0 win over New Hope. The Bulldogs were able to build a 41-0 lead in the first half and then built a 43-0 lead with a touchdown and field goal in the second half. The Bulldogs also had a field goal blocked in the second half and a game-winning 20-yard field goal in the first varsity attempt. The Bulldogs also have three running backs that have eclipsed 100 rushing yards.
Priceville has two more games left against region opponents. In the first game, Mason Cartee had five rushing touchdowns in a 70-0 victory over Brewer. He was also named the First Down Friday Night MVP for the week. In the game against North Jackson, he had 203 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries. Cartee also caught a pass for a touchdown. He finished with six tackles on defense and eight on offense.
Priceville is now 5-0 in Region 4. It has scored 40 or more points in each of the past three weeks. The Bulldogs also have a win over Scottsboro. This will be the first time the Bulldogs and Scottsboro have played each other since 2013. The Bulldogs also defeated West Limestone in overtime in 2015 and won the regional title that year. The Bulldogs also beat the Spartans in their first game of the season.
Mason Cartee and Braxton Peters also accounted for four touchdowns in Priceville’s win over North Jackson. Braxton Peters also had four catches for 158 yards. Ti’arrius Mosley had 119 rushing yards on 13 carries and a 44-yard touchdown pass from Peters. In the second quarter, Peters extended the lead to 21-0. He also had a 30-yard touchdown pass to Will Stokes.
The Bulldogs are one win away from tying the program’s records for wins in a season and a region championship. Priceville will continue to battle region opponents next week when they travel to Rogers. The next two weeks will be the final games of the regular season in Region 4. In order to win the regional crown, the Bulldogs will need to win both of their last two games.
Having both played each other on the grid this season, the West Morgan vs Priceville football rivalry should be interesting. Both teams are a notch below the competition in the football department, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t competitive in other sports and on the grid. The rivals are currently tied for first place in the Morgan County Sports Association standings. The winner of this week’s game will be crowned the region’s champions.
Priceville and West Morgan are both Class 4A schools. The aforementioned rivals are off to a 3-0 start, with Priceville taking the early lead in the region’s football hierarchy. The two teams are vying for the coveted Region 8 championship. The aforementioned teams will go toe-to-toe in the region’s first playoff game on Friday. The other contenders include New Hope, Madison County, and Brooks. Having both teams in the same conference is an added incentive to perform better than their counterparts in the pecking order. The aforementioned teams will face each other in the playoffs for the first time in three decades. This is a great time to show off your team’s best and brightest. Getting a home field advantage is always a plus. The two schools are both capable of putting up some serious road yards in the passing season.
Having both schools on the same field is not a sure thing, but the two teams have managed to put on a show in a friendly environment, with Priceville slaying the competition on the grid. The Bulldogs are averaging close to 100 yards per game, while the Rebels are averaging just over 80 yards on the ground. Priceville is averaging more than a quarter of a yard in the redzone, and is averaging just over a ten yard advantage in the greenzone. The matchup is a doozy.
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