Anderson-Shiro Owls (5-0, 0-0) at Hemphill Hornets (3-2, 0-0)

District 12-3A Division II Opener

Previous Meeting:

Anderson-Shiro leads the series 2-1; 2018: Anderson-Shiro 6, Hemphill 0, 2013: Anderson-Shiro 44, Hemphill 14, 2012: Hemphill 35, Anderson-Shiro 14;

The last matchup between the two teams was a slugfest on defense. The Owls lone score came on a 25-yard pass from Cole Werner to Zacarrius Haynes. Landon Stem led the Owl defense with 14 tackles followed by Tre Hightower with nine. Haynes carried the ball 19 times for 95 yards.

Last Week: Hemphill 54, West Sabine 40; Anderson-Shiro had an open week.

2019: Anderson-Shiro: VS Rosebud-Lott (W) 32-0, @ Leon (W) 41-20, VS Iola (W) 26-0, VS Brazos Christian (W) 46-0, @ Granger (W) 42-10;

Hemphill: VS Timpson (W) 56-39, @ Buna (L) 30-24, @ Beckville (W) 70-28, VS San Augustine (L) 49-34, @ West Sabine (W) 54-40;

The matchup: Both teams feature a potent rushing attack. Hemphill utilizes a duo of running backs, Dre’lyn Washington and Jamarrious Hall, that rack up huge yardage and find the endzone often.

The Owls rely heavily on Zacarrius Haynes who is having his best season. Haynes has 1008 yards on 78 carries and 17 touchdowns. He is averaging 12.9 yard per carry and 201.6 yards per game.

Keys to victory: This game will feature three of the best running backs in 3A Division 2. The game will need to be won in the trenches on both sides of the ball for either team to secure the district opening win. Whichever team wins the battle wins the game. Anderson has shown they can move the ball on the ground offensively but also do an outstanding job stopping the run defensively. If the Owls continue their dominance they should stay undefeated.