This week, with a special Thursday night game, Kennedale (4-0) plays its last pre-district game against the Dallas Carter Cowboys. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Dallas Kincaide Stadium. {{more}} (Directions)
Backstory ?
The Carter Cowboys play in District 6-4A, Division I. The district is dominated by Argyle but also includes Sanger, Ranchview, Pinkston and Wilmer-Hutchinson. Carter has been picked to finish 5th in the district. They are coming off a bad year when the Cowboys went 1-8. However, two years ago they were repeat district champs. The good news for Carter is that they returned 23 lettermen with 16 starters in the mix ? 10 on offense and 6 on defense. Returners that were labeled as players to watch for this year included Senior LB Jarell Cherry (6-2, 210), Senior DB Demarviae Gray and Junior RB Bernard Goodwater.
Last year in what was definitely a rebuilding year for Carter, Kennedale dominated the Carter Cowboys winning 70-21 while racking up 723 yards in total offense, averaging 11 yards per carry. Carter did manage a respectable 398 yards on offense and three touchdowns.
This year ?
Carter High School (1-3) is coming off their first win of the season after beating 4A Dallas Lincoln 20-6 last week. Lincoln dropped to 2-2 after the loss. Carter started off with a loss to private school Bishop Lincoln 54-18, followed by losses to 5A Dallas Kimball 22-14 and 5A Arlington Seguin 30-12. Carter, however, does seem to be improving each game.
Both teams are tuning up for the beginning of district play next week. This week their goal will be to forget who they are playing and what the records are and just focus on improving their game. For Kennedale, Carter presents another Dunbar challenge ? a potentially explosive team with a lot of good athletes and, one that cannot be allowed to be playing for the lead late in the game.
Poll Watch ?
Kennedale remained at #6 in the latest AP 4A poll following Navasato, Gilmer, West Orange, Celina and LaGrange. In rankings for 4A Division I, Dave Cambell?s Texas poll Kennedale has moved into 4th place, up from #5. In the Texas Lonestar Gridirion poll, Kennedale remained at #2 behind Navasota. And MaxPreps has Kennedale pegged at #7 up from #12 the week before.
