In its quest for a second consecutive Class 2A championship, Mount Ida welcomes a familiar foe to Stidman Field tonight.
With a spot in the semifinals up for grabs, the 2A-7 No. 1 seed Lions (12-0) host 2A-5 No. 2 seed Conway Christian (11-1) in a rematch of last year's second-round matchup.
Mount Ida running back Jonathan Lagrange ran for 290 yards and five touchdowns in last year's 41-29 win over the Eagles, and the junior represents one of many backfield options for coach Mike White's Split Back Veer offense.
Lagrange leads the team with 977 yards and 20 touchdowns this season while quarterback Cade Jackson and running back Cade Helms have each scored 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Mount Ida has seven players with at least 200 rushing yards and 11 players with at least one rushing touchdown.
Not to be outdone, the Lions' defense has been equally as impressive in its own right. Surrendering just eight points per game this season, Mount Ida has outscored its opponents 155-22 over the last three weeks, including consecutive shutouts over Lafayette County and Des Arc.
Senior Bridger Farmer leads the team with 93 tackles while junior Champ Saylors has racked up a team-high six sacks and 17 tackles for loss. Jackson has recorded 24 tackles and three interceptions as the leader in the secondary.
The Lions haven't allowed more than 22 points in any game this season, but will have their hands full with a prolific Conway Christian offense that scores over 42 points per game.
Held to 207 yards passing while also losing a fumble in last year's matchup, Conway Christian quarterback Jacob Wood is flying high after a dynamic performance in last week's 38-26 win over Mountainburg.
The junior rushed for 131 yards and five touchdowns while senior running back Luke Gates chipped in with 124 yards on 22 attempts for the Eagles.
The winner will travel to Camden Harmony Grove or Hazen for a semifinal matchup on Dec. 1. Hootens Arkansas Football has the Lions as a nine-point favorite.
Elsewhere in the surrounding area, Arkadelphia hosts Ashdown in a battle of conference 4A-7 rivals. After a bus crash led to first-round forfeit by Helena-West Helena, the Badgers routed Batesville Southside 42-8 in their playoff debut last week.
Zion Hatley led the way with 175 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries. The Badgers (11-1) remain undefeated when Hatley suits up, the junior missing a Week 5 loss at Joe T. Robinson while recovering from a concussion.
In his second year as the starter, Arkadelphia quarterback Cannon Turner has passed for 859 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, adding 741 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
Ashdown (9-3) traveled to Trumann for a 28-7 win in the first round before ousting visiting Pocahontas 32-14 last week. Arkansas State commit Detravion Green triggers a potent Panther offense with 1,241 yards and 17 touchdowns on the season, including 210 yards and three touchdowns in last week's win.
Sophomore quarterback Brett Bond has completed 47 of 100 pass attempts for 696 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions since taking over for an injured Jaden Hill in Week 6.
Mississippi State verbal commit Ladarrius Bishop does a little bit of everything for the Panthers. The senior has 249 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, 29 catches for 489 yards and five touchdowns, adding a team-high two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble on defense.
After winning the regular season meeting 44-26, the Badgers are a 10-point favorite according to Hootens Arkansas Football.
Sports on 11/24/2017