Tigers to host Lake Creek in first round

TEXARKANA, Texas — Texas High begins its playoff run tonight against Montgomery Lake Creek.

After completing a 10-0 regular season and claiming the outright District 9-5A, Division II football championship, the Tigers aim to make a deep postseason run, starting with the Lions at Tiger Stadium in Grim Park. Kickoff for the bi-district game is slated for 7:30 p.m.

“The big key to the game is to play with the same level of intensity we did last week,” Tigers head coach Gerry Stanford said. “We’ve done a good job, for most of the year, of minimizing penalties and minimizing turnovers, and in the playoffs that’s going to have to be the case.

“We approached last week’s game as a playoff game in practice all week. It was a goal to win district outright, and so we approached Whitehouse the same as we would a playoff game.”

Texas High beat Whitehouse 51-21 — taking a 48-0 lead in the first half — in its regular season finale, and Lake Creek (6-4) lost two in a row to close out the regular season and finish fourth in District 10-5A. Montgomery handed the Lions a 34-7 loss last week.

The Tigers have averaged 40.8 points on offense and given up just 13.6 points on defense per game this season.

Lake Creek averages 36.5 points and allows 24.7 points per game.

“Lake Creek runs a multiple offense, and they play a couple different quarterbacks,” Stanford said. “Defensively, they run a 3-down front, similar to what we ran my first two years here. They’re a solid, real sound football team; they do a good job of knowing what their role is and sticking to it.”

The game will be broadcast on KTFS 107.9 FM with pregame at 7 p.m., and liveblogged at texarkanagazette.com/texashigh.

Tonight’s winner advances to the area round to play either Crosby or Fort Bend Willowridge.