Hays at Kerrville Tivy
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Kerrville
Records: Hays 4-0; Tivy 2-2
Last week: Hays 28, Lehman 10; Kerrville 34, Clemens 13
Last meeting: Tivy 49, Hays 21 (bi-district playoffs 2010)
Tivy offense: Spread
Tivy defense: 4-3
Hays offense: Multiple
Hays defense: 3-4
What they’re saying: “I’ll be playing against Kerrville, no doubt,” Hays quarterback Caleb Kimbro said after sitting out against Lehman with a shoulder injury.
Players to Watch:
Hays: QB Caleb Kimbro, QB Jeff Jordan, WR Granger Studdard, OL William Trevillion, OL Reed Darragh, Slot receiver Taven Mayberry, WR Hayden Cagle, TE Banner Steele, DE Kyle Cox, LB Devin Jennings, CB Christian Rodriguez, CB Jared Rodriguez, LB Colin Hubert.
Tivy: QB Parks McNeil, RB Will Stuckey, WR Tyler Ahrens, WR Adrian Medran, OL Madison Wilmot, OL Brian McCarty, LB Payeton Becker, DL Jesse Hernandez.
Intangibles: Don’t let Tivy’s 2-2 record fool you. They’ve lost to two Class 5A regional powerhouses Steele and Madison. The good thing about facing Tivy this year, as opposed to 2010 in the bi-district playoffs in Coach Bob Shelton’s last game coaching the Rebels, is the Antlers won’t have Johnny “Football” Manziel as their signal caller. The All-World QB has moved on to star at Texas A&M, but new Tivy QB Parks McNeil is a formidable replacement. He’s passed for 674 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed for 270 and six more TDs. Hays’ defense, which has allowed only 145 yards per contest through four games, will undoubtedly get its toughest test of the season on the road Friday night against Tivy. The great news for Hays is the Rebels will have quarterback Caleb Kimbro back under center. Kimbro has only played seven quarters this season before injuring his shoulder against Rouse, but has 10 total touchdowns and more than 4,000 total yards the past two seasons combined. In other words, he’s pretty good. The Rebels will need a healthy Kimbro to compete for the district title they are striving for and that run realistically starts Friday night. The fact Kimbro has a healthy Taven Mayberry back in the lineup makes Hays even more potent if they can stay injury free. Tivy hasn’t lost a district game since 2009, so the Rebels are in for a great road test midway through the regular season.
Hays Free Press prediction: Hays 42, Tivy 34
