Tuscola at McDowell: Can the train keep rolling against the Titans?

Sep. 1—Coming off the high of their first win of the season over Polk County, can Tuscola keep the momentum going against McDowell?

Date & Location: 7 p.m. Sep. 1, in Marion

Last Meeting: Tuscola won 44-19 in 2016 in Marion

Tuscola is breathing a sigh of relief after overcoming a two-score deficit to beat Polk County last week on the road. The team showed a lot of grit and creativity to get the first win under head coach Jonathan Crompton.

Against the Wolverines, the Mountaineers showcased a hard-nosed rushing attack fueled by junior Gavin Langley (102 yards and one touchdown), but it was senior quarterback Jed West (177 yards passing; 66 yards rushing; 3 total touchdowns) who ultimately won the game for Tuscola. Had he not transferred before the season, who knows where the Mountaineers would be sitting right now.

Although the offense came into the season with high expectations, it's been the Mounties defense that has impressed. Although they have given up some big yardage totals to Asheville (167 rushing) and Polk County (242 passing), the unit has come up with some big stops and takeaways that gave lead directly to points.

McDowell's 2022 in review:

After going 5-2 to open their 2022 season, the Titans lost three straight games and missed the playoffs. But don't write off McDowell by any means. Leading rusher Josh Ellis, who was second in the Mountain Athletic Conference with 1,426 yards rushing and nine touchdowns last season, transferred to Asheville before the season began.

So far this season, McDowell has struggled to replace Ellis' production, losing a a31-24 overtime thriller to RS-Central and getting blown out 35-6 against Mitchell.

Titans to watch:

Junior quarterback Job Marsh won't impress you with his throwing ability (two touchdowns to three interceptions through two games), but the signal-caller has been the Titans leading rusher in both games this season.

Sophomore running back Jordan Barnette has been consistent behind Marsh, tallying games of 63 and 46 yards this season. If Barnette can start to break some long runs, it could take pressure off Marsh.

Senior Jackson Marsh had a heckuva game in week one against RS-Central, hauling in 3 passes for 109 yards and two scores, but was held to two catches for 14 yards against Mitchell.

On defense, sophomore Hunter Pittman has led the Titans in tackles in the first two games (8 against RS-Central and 9 against Mitchell).

Senior defensive back Wyatt Clark recorded two tackles for loss and one interception against Mitchell last week.

Mounties to watch:

Senior quarterback Jed West has passed for four touchdowns and rushed for two more in his first two games as a Mountaineers, even engineering a fourth-quarter comeback victory against Polk County. Although the offense is slow to warm up, once West and his receivers get going, it's hard to stop them.

Gavin Langley has impressed in the first two games, as well. No one really knew who would carry the rock for the Mounties this season, but the junior had a breakout game last week against the Wolverines, rushing for over 100 yards and a score.

The wide receiver room is packed (seniors Bryant Oancea and K.J. Vang and junior Jonas Howard), but each player has his own talents. Oancea is the big-play threat with solid speed, Vang is a shift, quick-cut wideout and Howard has been a pass-catching machine. It's a hard trio to stop for any defense.

On defense, seniors Hudson Blackburn and Jackson Sutton have provided stability and hard-hitting in the Tuscola front seven. Some young players like sophomore Carter Purvis and freshman Ty Walker have gotten in the scrum, especially last week against Polk County.

Inside the Xs and Os:

McDowell has attempted 17 total passes this season, with three going to the other team. Don't expect the Titans to try too much through the air against a solid Tuscola defense. Expect a heavy dose of running behind junior quarterback Jeb Marsh, who has led the Titans in rushing the first two weeks of the season (73 yards; 55 yards).

Senior defensive back Wyatt Clark recorded two tackles for loss and one interception against Mitchell last week, so he could factor into ensuring Tuscola's receivers don't stay too open.

Tuscola, meanwhile, will look to make McDowell pay for its playcalling. Junior tailback Gavin Langley rushed for over 100 yards against Polk County, so look to see him early and often as the Mountaineers try to wear down the McDowell front.

And if and when that happens, expect senior quarterback Jed West to air it out to a bench of wideouts, from seniors Bryant Oancea and K.J. Vang to junior Jonas Howard and sophomore Amos Rich. Tuscola's defense has performed well against two top passing teams but will get more of a ground test this week against McDowell.

If McDowell wins: Tuscola couldn't get going as the game went on and made too many mistakes, allowing the Titans to steal one against the Mountaineers.

If Tuscola wins: West and the offense have their best statistical game of the season, and the Mounties defense stifles McDowell's rushing attack, forcing them to pass.