L-E, Hawks set for rivalry game
It’s time for one of the city’s biggest cross-town rivalries.
Pleasant Grove (6-2, 2-0) hosts Liberty-Eylau (2-5, 1-0) in a District 6-4A, Division II game at 7:30 p.m. today at Hawk Stadium on Senior Night.
Each team has spent many hours preparing for the matchup. The Leopards are coming off a 28-20 win over Spring Hill, while the Hawks blanked Gilmer, 14-0.
“Coach Josh Gibson and his staff have done a really good job with those kids over there,” Liberty-Eylau head coach Steve Wells said. “Their kids execute really well. Offensively, they’re
not your traditional Wing-T team. The give you a lot of different formations. The thing about it that makes it so tough is that they go so fast.”
Junior wing back Bruce Garrett leads the Hawks in rushing with 885 yards on 120 carries and seven touchdowns. Senior fullback James Wiggins has 743 yards on 121 totes and six scores for Pleasant Grove.
Junior quarterback Ben Harmon has thrown for 921 yards with 13 TDs and just one interception for the Hawks. Harmon’s main target has been junior receiver Jackson Cobb, who has 18 grabs for 310 yards and three scores.
“L-E has a very good football team,” Pleasant Grove head coach Josh Gibson said. “They’ve played the hardest schedule in the state and their win-loss record isn’t indicative of their talent or how good they are. They are extremely athletic and will be a playoff team that plays multiple rounds.
“It’s Senior Night, and we can secure the No. 1 seed in the playoffs and a capture a share of the district title with the win. You add in the fact that its a cross-town rivalry with two very good teams and the game just gets bigger and bigger.”
Senior Isaiah Cross leads the Leopards in rushing with 349 yards on 79 carries. Cross has thrown for 740 yards with 10 touchdowns. Senior teammate Cedric Dickerson has 272 yards on 46 totes and four scores.
El-Amin Greer, a junior, is the Leopards’ leading receiver with eight snags for 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Five other LibertyEylau receivers have six catches apiece.
“Their front is solid,” Wells said. “They have tall ends, which makes it hard to throw in your quick game a lot of times on the edge. We’re going to have to protect the ball and get some drives going. Hopefully, we can take the ball out of their hands Friday night. Like I said, they’ve done a real good job over there coaching those kids. They’re very well disciplined and well coached. We’re going to have to play well.”
Last year, Pleasant Grove rolled past Liberty-Eylau, 51-14, at Harris Field en route to a 16-0 record and 4A, Division II state title.
The Leopards are averaging 24.3 points per game and giving up 37.3. The Hawks are scoring 34.8 points per game on average and giving up 20.1.
Pleasant Grove is averaging 393.3 yards per contest, while Liberty-Eylau gets 328.7 yards on average.
“Its a very big rivalry for both schools,” Gibson said. “There is a lot of respect there too. To beat great teams, you can’t beat yourself. The team that plays the cleanest wins. You can’t have turnovers, penalties or schematic breakdowns and win a game of this magnitude.”
The Hawks’ defense has given up an average of 279.9 yards per game, compared to L-E’s 328.1.
Dickerson leads the Leopards in interceptions (2) and tackles (68). Tyler Kelley and Kamren Woods each have five interceptions for Pleasant Grove, while Bladen Reaves is the Hawks leading tackler with 58 stops.
“Defensively, you have to get lined up right versus their different formations,” Wells said. “You have to get set quick. They can control the ball. They run the ball really well, but where they’re really dangerous is in the play-action game. Everyone thinks they’re a running team, but they can pass it too; that is what makes them so dangerous.”
The game will air on the radio at KTFS 940 AM or 98.7 FM for Liberty-Eylau and at KTRG 94.1 FM for Pleasant Grove, with a pregame at 7 p.m.