There is a four-way tie atop the District 14-4A football race with two games to play.
Henderson, Lindale Jacksonville and Kilgore all have 2-1 district marks.
That tie will be cut in half this week, as those four teams are in games with other contenders in the two marquee games.
Here is a look at the matchups.
Henderson (5-3, 2-1) at Lindale (4-4, 2-1): In the preseason, Henderson and Lindale were picked to finish fifth and sixth in the district, respectively.
Even a few weeks ago, Lindale looked like a team that would finish near the bottom of the pack.
Now, the Eagles host the Lions in a contest that has title implications.
Henderson suffered its first district loss in a heartbreaker last week, a 56-55 setback in double-overtime against Jacksonville. The Lions quarterback Tyrell Jenkins completed 16-of-29 pass attempts for 284 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for three other scores.
The Eagles will try to counter with their athletic quarterback Matt Broussard.
Aside from a 56-yard pass on the first drive of the game, Brouassard was kept in check last week in Lindale's 28-14 win over Nacogdoches. He was 6-of-8 for 102 yards, and he rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
Despite Broussard's tough game, Lindale managed to have a productive offensive night behind the running of Keandre Ross. When handing the ball off wasn't working, the Eagles turned to the "Wildcat" formation and direct-snapped the ball to Ross, over and over, allowing him to rush for 158 yards and a score on 22 carries.
Both teams also have key factors on defense. Lindale's Keith Moore intercepted a pass for an 82-yard touchdown and was in on several tackles last week. Henderson's Corey Fletcher has recorded eight sacks this season.
With all of the key players and everything that is on the line, this should be a good game to attend Friday night.
Jacksonville (6-2, 2-1) at Kilgore (4-4, 2-1): If you can't make it to Lindale, then head to Kilgore, where the other tiebreaking game will take place.
Jacksonville is coming off a thrilling win over Henderson. Kilgore is coming off a come-from-behind victory against Whitehouse.
There should be a lot more running in this game than passing.
Jacksonville rushed for 239 yards two weeks ago against Nacogdoches, but was held to 121 yards on the ground against Henderson.
Kilgore's Ladarius Anthony has run wild all season. His latest effort was 187 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner, on 26 carries in the Bulldogs' 35-30 win over Whitehouse.
Jacksonville will be more likely to put the ball into the air. Quarterback Ryan Black was 14-of-28 for 280 yards, with four touchdowns and an interception against Henderson.
The Indians, who have played in three overtime games this season, all victories, might be headed for a fourth one in Kilgore.
Nacogdoches (3-5, 0-3) at Whitehouse (1-7, 1-2): Both teams will have their playoff chances on the line in this contest.
The Dragons' chances are slim-to-none, as it is, while the Wildcats could creep right back into the mix with a win.
After giving up more than 200 yards rushing in the past two games, Nacogdoches will now face a team that would rather put the ball in the air.
Whitehouse quarterback Hunter Taylor was 29-of-42 for 440 yards and two touchdowns against Kilgore.
Nacogdoches seems to give up at least one big passing play every game. With Taylor to Trey Metoyer looking like a pretty good combo, the Wildcats could experience a few big passing plays.
The Dragons, who rushed for 211 yards last week, will try to take advantage of a Whitehouse defense that allowed 187 rushing yards to Kilgore's Anthony.
Expect a lot of yards for both teams in this game.
Brandon Ogden's e-mail address
is bogden@dailysentinel.com.
