EMORY, Texas-Liberty-Eylau's second season is upon us.
The Leopards (3-7) takes on Caddo Mills (6-3) in the bi-district round of the Class 4A state championship at Wildcat Stadium, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
"I'm excited for the opportunity to get a chance to play for a bi-district title," Liberty-Eylau head coach Steve Wells said. "Our kids have fought all season for this chance and I'm excited to get the real season started."
The Leopards finished their regular season snapping a 12-game losing skid at Gilmer, 54-42, and Caddo Mills blanked Dallas Lincoln, 23-0.
"Caddo Mills is a very good ball club," Wells said. "We're going to have to come out and focus on our assignments. We have to cut down our turnovers and penalties to be successful."
Isaiah Cross will lead the Leopards offense. Cross has rushed 116 times for 685 yards and six touchdowns. Cross has also completed 75 of 165 passes for 1,186 yards and 15 touchdowns for Liberty-Eylau.
Liberty-Eylau will also expect heavy contributions from Marzavin Riles. Riles has racked up 415 yards and five touchdowns on 56 totes.
"We have to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves against a good team like Caddo Mills," Wells said. "They're a well-coached bunch and fundamentally sound."
The Leopards will also attempt to burn Caddo Mills offensively on the outside with their receivers.
Shayne Porche lead the Liberty-Eylau receiving corps with 13 grabs for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Riles has caught eight passes for 311 and four touchdowns, while El-Amin Greer has collected 237 yards on 10 receptions for three touchdowns.
"Hopefully, our momentum from last week will carry over," Wells said. "We've preached all week to our kids about focusing on the little things. I'm excited we have the opportunity to play and we have a good chance of going on a run."
The winner will face either Brownsboro or Lorena in Royce City on Friday, November 3.