For the 57th consecutive year, Dixie and Ware Shoals will play football. These two teams will renew an age-old rivalry in a crucial point of the season for both schools.
Dixie is coming off a very physical win last week on the road in McCormick, 29-28. For Dixie, this was their first win of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time. It was also a region win, making them tied for first place in Region 1-A.
Brandon Nance continues to be huge for the Green Hornets offense. He scored the go ahead touchdown last week against the Chiefs with 42 seconds left on the clock. Ware Shoals has a lot on their plate defensively. Stopping the run has not been the easiest of tasks for Ware Shoals, Zay King ran for over 200 yards in the week 1 meeting vs the Purple Hornets.
The running back tandem of Nance and Wilson will get a lot of the touches out of the Dixie backfield. Using the Wing formation out of the shotgun and under center, the Green Hornets will utilize their speed towards the boundary. Consistently getting to the second level of the Ware Shoals defense will be a huge key for Dixie.
Staylon Johnson has no fear airing it out. The Dixie QB was able to make huge throws last week, propelling his team to victory. His passing ability adds an extra layer of substance to the Green Hornets offense. His favorite target, Thomas Ferguson will wreak havoc to the Ware Shoals defense. Listed at 6-foot-5, 180 pounds, Ferguson is a large target possessing a good set of hands and sneaky speed.
Tae Donald will be used offensively in short yardage situations at the fullback position for Dixie. His power adds another element to the Green Hornets offense.
There is no secret about how well Justice Lomax has played this season on both sides of the ball. The star running back of Ware Shoals has already accumulated seven touchdowns on 454 rushing yards, as well as securing two interceptions and four pass break-ups.
The major key for the Purple Hornets will be their quarterback play. Jayden Johnson has had his ups and downs this season under center for Ware Shoals, but will need to show out to keep his squad alive against an aggressive Dixie defense.
Jasir Farhan and Jayce Medlin are two names that have had flashes of greatness catching the ball through four games for the Purple Hornets. Someone other than Lomax will need to step up Ware Shoals offensively if they want to have success through four quarters.
Prediction: During a storied rivalry, you can expect tempers to be high. Dixie won a heated matchup last week in McCormick, the statement win of their 2023 season thus far. Ware Shoals brings a different set of problems for the Green Hornets to deal with. But with Dixie playing on their home turf, they use the momentum of last week’s victory to go 2-0 in region play. Lomax has a huge game on the ground for Ware Shoals, but the Purple Hornets fall just short, 31-27.