Showdown in the South: Warren vs Pine Bluff
There are games each season that fans of high school football will have interest in, even if they are not fans of either school participating in the event. Friday nights game between the Warren Lumberjacks and the Pine Bluff Zebras will be one of those games.
There are several reasons that people from around the state will have their eyes on this game. One being the fact that both teams have Division 1 prospects playing for them, and another reason being that both teams are expected to make a playoff run in their respective classifications.
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The home team will be the Warren Lumberjacks, who are ranked #2 in the ArkansasVarsity.com Class 4A Top 10.
A few players to watch for the Lumberjacks on Friday night include QB Hayden Smith who has shown early in the season that he will be one of the top QB's in the state before the season is out.
Smith has a very good throwing arm, and one of his favorite targets to throw to is WR Quinn Franklin, who has been lighting the boards up so far this season with amazing catches and accounting for several Lumberjack scores.
In the backfield, Courtney Haskell uses his 4.4 speed to torch defenses on the way to the end zone.
Other key offensive players to watch include WR's Blake Burns, and Blake Harris.
On defense, junior linebacker Eldon Thompson who transfered in over the summer from Bearden, has shown early that he can compete at the 4A level, and has made several key tackles for the Lumberjacks early in the season.
Antonio Harding, Franklin, Gary Marshall, and Stephen Kolen are other players to watch from Warren.
The Pine Bluff Zebras have one of the top QB's in the state as well. Claude Johnson came in second place behind Springdale QB Ashton Glaser in this past summer's Top Gun QB Challenge, and is a versitile QB in the Zebra Wing-T offensive scheme.
Johnson will have help in the backfield from Martez Glass, Christian Owens, and Demario Duglass.
Jarvis Mayo leads the Zebra WR corps, followed by Cordara Frazier, Clifton Scott, and Cameron Collins.
Theodis Shavers and Martin Montgomery lead the Zebra defense from the defensive end positions, while Chris Scott, Glass, and Roderick Humphrey fill in at linebacker.
Anthony Graham, Jarvis Webb, Owens, and Robert Jones fill in the secondary positions for the Zebras.
Friday nights game will be played at Warren. The Lumberjacks are 2-0 on the season, and look to extend their mark to 3-0, while the Zebras are looking to get a win coming off of a loss against West Memphis this past Friday night.
Both teams have plenty of talent, and quality coaching. If you happen to be in the South East Arkansas area on Friday night, this is a game that ArkansasVarsity.com suggests you take in. you will enjoy two quality coaches running two different type of offenses, and will get to see several D1 prospects to boot.
ArkansasVarsity.com will have a full rundown of the game on Saturday morning!