By Jay Neal
sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com
ALTO — Neither Alto (8-2) nor Tenaha (10-0), clearly two of the top teams in the region, deserve to be meeting in bi-district play, but that is exactly what will occur beginning at 7 p.m. tonight when the two perennial powers face off against each other at Panther Stadium on the campus of Bullard High School.
The Class A, Region III, Division II contest will pit head coach Keith Gardner’s Yellowjackets, the second-place team out of District 20-A, against the Tigers, who are the District 19-A champions. Teneha is coached by first-year head coach Terry Ward.
Alto’s losses came at the hands of Class 2A Arp (35-0) on Sept. 11 and to district rival Cayuga, 43-36 (OT) on the next to the last week of the regular season.
The two schools have always been known for their powerful offenses. But in 2009, each has gotten to the big show on the strength of not only having formidable offenses, but salty defensive play as well.
Alto’s bruisers have pitched five shutouts — San Augustine (41-0), Grapeland (34-0), Price-Carlisle (35-0), Cross Roads (56-0) and Cushing (40-0). The Tiger stoppers have been credited with three shutouts. Anchoring the Tiger defense is leading-tackler Porter Gipson, who has amassed 73 tackles this season.
Tenaha defeated arch-rival Timpson, 20-0, Pineland-West Sabine (34-0) and Mount Enterprise (39-0).
Offensively, quarterback Cobi Steadman is the straw that stirs Tenaha’s drink. Steadman has hit 86 of 159 passes for 1,432 yards and has 18 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions. He has proven to be a dual threat by rushing for nearly 600 yards while scoring a dozen rushing touchdowns this fall.
Quarterback Javonte Jones is the offensive workhorse for Alto, while Kilton Wade, Rhett Gresham and Makio Houston are three of a whole host of stoppers on the defensive side for the Mean Sting.
The winner of the Alto and Tenaha game will proceed to an area round clash opposite Maud next weekend.
