East Central Trojans at Evansville Memorial Tigers Preview

One of Class 4A’s most intriguing matchups this week will take place in southern Indiana when the East Central Trojans hit the road to take on the Evansville Memorial Tigers. Both teams had outstanding Sectional Championship runs, but now both will be looking to pick up another trophy. These two teams are gifted with potent offenses, meaning that this could be a high-scoring game. However, there are plenty of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball who can make momentum-shifting plays. These are two evenly matched teams squaring off in what could be a barnburner with a trip to Semi-State on the line. East Central Trojans The Trojans’ top-tier offense is lead by Quarterback Cole Burton. Burton has a great arm and he shows good instincts and the ability to read a defense. Backing this up is the fact that he has thrown 19 touchdown passes and just one interception this year. Not only does he possess good arm strength, but Burton is accurate and he can put the ball in the right spot. Supporting Burton is one of the best running-games in the state. Trae Ohmer, [player_tooltip player_id="189083" first="Josh" last="Ringer"] and Ryan Brotherton have all ran for well over 500 yards this year. The passing ability of Burton, plus the three-headed monster in the backfield can keep defenses guessing. Leading receiver Eli Aston, who has over 700 receiving yards, can make life even more difficult on the opposing defense by testing the secondary. The Trojans’ offense has so many weapons, making it extremely difficult to prevent them from putting a lot of points on the board. On defense, the Trojans love to wreak havoc in the opposing backfield. Outside Linebacker Rhett Smith has come up with six tackles-for-loss this year. The team’s pass rush is outstanding. They have combined for 23 quarterback sacks this season. If they can get pressure on Evansville Memorial Quarterback Caleb Ellspermann they could get the Tigers’ offense out-of-sync. Evansville Memorial Tigers Like East Central, Evansville Memorial has a very talented offense that can move the ball very effectively. Caleb Ellspermann has thrown for just over 1,500 yards this campaign, while connecting on 14 touchdown passes. He has also shown the crucial ability to take care of the football, having thrown just five interceptions. Evansville Memorial possesses a dynamic one-two punch in their backfield. Ray Brodie leads the way with 1,075 rushing yards entering this week’s game. Complimenting him is Xavier Tyler who has accumulated an impressive total of 707 yards on the ground. When it comes time to look for a big play through the air, Ellspermann has a reliable target in Leo Collins. Collins has hauled in 46 receptions for 421 yards. Defensively, the Tigers also have a player who can set up residency in the opposing backfield. John Russell has nine tackles-for-loss. The Tigers will certainly need him to get consistent penetration in an effort to slow-down the Trojans’ elite rushing attack. The secondary will be tested by Burton, but Will Rogers has brought in three interceptions this year. Evansville Memorial will need to hold up on he back end.