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Friday Night Preview: Crandall and Kaufman football go head-to-head
There are some Friday Night Lights that hit different across the state. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, there are rivalries abound between various school districts. Just east of Dallas small-town rivalries are taken to the next level during football games. This week, the Kaufman Lions host the Crandall Pirates in a match-up that fans aren't going to want to miss. VYPE DFW dives into the details:
Crandall Pirates (0-1)
With a strong season last year and the drive to do even better this year, the Crandall Pirates are already off to a rocky start. Opening their season in week one of non-district play on the road against Forney, the Pirates posted a less-than-ideal 64-10 loss. The team is looking to get back at it this week when they travel up the road to Kaufman for another non-district rivalry showdown. This team hosts athletes like Sa'Von Reedy, Jaylon Washington, Kendrick Jones, Jeremiah Douglas, Kareem McAdams, Hudson West, James Chisolm, Cameron George, Andrew Anderson, and more. Looking to secure the first victory of the season for the Pirates Football program, these athletes are bound and determined to secure a statement victory over Kaufman in week two of the 2023-24 Texas High School Football season.
Kaufman Lions (0-1)
Finishing second in their district last season, the Kaufman Lions are on a mission this year to secure that top spot. Despite a week one 56-46 loss on the road against a tough Lindale team, the Lions have already shown tremendous growth this season. With the drive to continue moving and finish strong on the field, the Lions have been able to bounce back after each tough play. With a close week one game, fans can expect Kaufman to be fired up and ready for anything against Crandall. Athletes like Kaleb Lewis, Kylevon Morrow, Robert Olivares, Mason Seabolt, Johnathan Wrenn, Quinn Hartley, Jeremy Elliott, Jeremiah Brown, and more have what it takes to put a strong effort up against Crandall this week.
What To Expect
Week two of last year's season featured another Crandall vs. Kaufman match-up with the Pirates posting a 45-10 defeat over the Lions in front of a home crowd. Having graduated a decent sized class of impactful athletes, the Pirates are going to have to make sure their defense is ready to go against this Kaufman team that has already proven themselves to be an offensive threat. Fans can expect both teams to come out swinging as they enter this rivalry battle. With pride on the line, both teams are aiming for that first victory of the season.
Be sure you catch the game at Kaufman High School. Kick-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
PREVIEW: Kaufman Lions poised for triumph
The Kaufman Lions continue to build up a program that gets better season by season. This year, the Lions are ranked in the top 10 of the VYPE DFW 1A-4A Preseason Football Rankings. Staring down a tough schedule, the Lions have what it takes to make fans proud this season. VYPE DFW dives into exactly what fans can expect this fall!
REWIND
With a 67% winning percentage last season, the Kaufman Lions posted an 8-4 overall record (3-2 in district play). Opening their season strong with non-district victories over Lindale (24-17), Terrell (24-21), Athens (35-21), and Sunnyvale (21-7), the team was more than ready to face off against their district opponents. In district play, fans got to witness big victories over the likes of Paris (34-14), Mabank (31-7), and Sulphur Springs (28-7) as the team finished second in their district standings-- just behind Anna.
Entering playoffs, the Lions were fired up and ready to roll. The team posted an incredible shut-out 41-0 victory over Dallas Wilmer-Hutchins before falling against an incredibly tough China Spring team.
LOOKING AHEAD
Determination and grit are driving forces for the Kaufman Lions this season. With athletes like Kaleb Lewis, Kylevon Morrow, Robert Olivares, Mason Seabolt, Jonathan Wrenn, Rocky Bonilla, DK Jones, Jacob Spoon, Ty Burleson, Quinn Hartley, Jeremy Elliott, and more, the Lions have an upper-classman-heavy squad that is hungry for a deeper playoff run.
The team opens their schedule on Friday, August 25th on the road against Lindale where fans can expect to see big plays from a team that is persistent on starting and finishing strong this fall. The rest of their non-district schedule will feature matchups against Crandall, Terrell, Athens, and more before they enter district play on October 6th against Paris on the road.