RISON - Rison will be looking to slow down Dumas’ high-flying offense this Friday night when the Wildcats host the Bobcats for an 8-3A conference clash at George Walker Field of Champions. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The Bobcats come it at 1-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play after falling to the Lake Village Beavers, 62-52, last Friday night at home. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are off to a 1-0 league start after a big 40-24 win at West Helena last week.
Since suffering a 30-8 loss to Class 4A Hamburg to start the season, Dumas has averaged 48 points a game over its last three outings. That includes a 56-48 loss at Star City, a 44-40 win at Crossett and last week’s 62-52 shootout against Lake Village.
“It is absolutely amazing to me that you can average over 45 points a game and you’re 1-3,” Rison Coach Chris Vereen said about the Bobcats.
“They score quick but they give up a lot of points,” he said.
Dumas is giving up an average of 47 points per game through its first four contests this year. The fewest points Dumas has given up so far this season was the 30 against Hamburg in the opener.
By contrast, Rison is averaging 45.25 points on offense while allowing an average of 20.5 points.
“I hate a scoring contest, but we’re going to have to score some points,” Vereen said about Friday night’s matchup.
New Dumas Head Coach Sherodrick Smith runs multiple sets on offense, and Vereen said the Bobcats throw just about everything at their opponents: reverses, double passes and more.
“We can’t give up anything cheap,” he said.
In last week’s win at Helena, the Wildcats seemed to be cruising to an easy win when the Cougars used on a double-pass for a quick score that sparked a late rally by Helena.
Vereen said Rison will also need to continue to keep the turnovers down, score every chance they get and don’t give up the big play.
The Bobcats are led offensively by sophomore quarterback Kyle Young. Wildcat fans may remember Young from last year. He was the guy who threw a four-yard to…