Carthage Wins Battle with Liberty-Eylau
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Updated: September 10, 2017
Carthage Texas- In a closer than expected contest the Carthage Bulldogs, the top ranked team in 4A, ran away from the Liberty-Eylau Leopards, 48-38.
The Leopards have opened with a murderous pair of games. Falling last week to the#2 in 4A DII the Gilmer Buckeyes, 57-56.
Carthage has a “long way to go, but a long time to get there”, as quoted from Head Coach Scott Surratt. The Bulldogs are on a quest to win their 2nd (2008 and 2009) back-to-back state championships.
Coach Surratt knows this team is expected to go deep into the playoffs again. And like Alabama and their quest for national championships this team’s fan base expects nothing but another state title to be hoisted in Arlington at the end of this year.
The Bulldogs started the scoring off with a beautiful one handed 10 yard TD grab from player of the game Dewaylon Ingram. Ingram finished the night with two touchdowns catches and almost two more. He had 8 catches for 101 yards. He was not to be outdone by receiver mate Dee Bowens who had 100 yards and 1 TD snag (shown in our video in the story).
Liberty-Eylau answered right back on a 1 yard TD run by Kelston Joseph. The Leopards lost their first half lead as time expired in the 2nd quarter. UT commitment and what may be the best running back in the state, Keontay Ingram made it look easy. He went in from 1 yard out, after a huge Tucker Smith 57 yard KO return set Carthage up with a short field at the Leopard 27. Several plays later Ingram hit pay dirt. The state’s reigning DI champ would not relinquish the lead again.
The teams traded blows in the second half when a game of catch-up took off. Carthage used Tucker Smith to ice the game at tailback. His 7 yard touchdown with 10:34 remaining in the 4th pushed their lead to 10 at 41-31. Then Mykel Gates two-yarder finished them off with 3 minutes and 20 seconds left in the game, 48-31.
Leopard running back Ralph Crabtree ended with 100 yards and three touchdown.
Carthage faces Whitehouse next week before their monster rival game with Gilmer. Liberty-Eylau gets Texarkana Texas high.
By Glenn McCarthy
@GlennMcCarthy44
Players of the Game
Offense WR Dewaylon Ingram
Defense L-E’s LB Marazin Riles
Scoring Summary
Liberty-Eylau 10 7 14 7 38
Carthage 14 7 13 14 48