When Taylorsville and Heidelberg meet Friday night off Main Street in the second most populous city in Smith County, two teams with very different records overall will be equals.
Both are 2-0 in Region 5-2A with eyes on the district title.
Taylorsville is 7-1 overall. It’s only wrinkle on the season was a 26-7 loss in Week 6 to Class 2A newcomer Perry Central, who dropped down from 3A in the offseason. Taylorsville is the smallest 2A school in the state.
Heidelberg is 5-4 overall. The “injured bug” is partially to blame. Head coach Darius Dear says their record is not a fair indicator of his team’s overall potential.
Taylorville head coach Chuck Robertson is quick to agree.
“They’re a scary team,” said Robertson. “They’re extremely athletic and well coached. They have also played a tremendous schedule. Their record doesn’t reflect the kind of football team they are.”
There’s no denying the magnitude of Friday night’s matchup, especially for Taylorsville, who has already beaten Bay Springs, another strong contender in Region 2-5A.
“If we win Friday night, we will be district champs,” Robertson said. “If Heidelberg wins, and beats Bay Springs the next week, then they’ll be district champs. So this is for all the marbles right now [for us].”
Heidelberg enters this week’s game healthy, something that hasn’t been the case for most of the season.
“We started off the season on a good note,” said Dear. “Then we ran into hurdles midway through. We had problems flare up within the team as far as injuries go. We got all our guys back once we entered district play. We’re 100 percent healthy now.”
The Oilers hammered Enterprise Clarke 62-22 in Week 8 in their Region 5-2A opener. Last week Heidelberg improved to above .500 on the season, and 2-0 in the region, with a 38-14 victory over Clarkdale.
The task will be 10 times greater Friday night, but Dear says his team is up for the challenge.
“Taylorsville is a good team,” said Dear. “They can throw the ball well. The freshman quarterback they have is a bright spot for them. But we are going to be prepared and give them a good test come Friday.”
Ty Keyes, Taylorsville’s freshman field general, leads the state in passing with 2,587 yards and 23 touchdowns. His completion percentage is at 65 percent, and he’s only tossed three interceptions on the year. Keyes favorite target is senior wide-out Perry Keyes, who ranks fifth in the state in receiving yards with 884. Keyes averages 17.6 yards a catch and has six touchdowns to his name.
“Both guys are great playmakers,” said Robertson. “Our offensive coordinator does a good job of making sure they’re getting positive plays. Perry does a good job of getting extra yards after his catch. And Ty does a good job of making sure he doesn’t try to do too much. He manages the game well for us on the field.”
Dear says Heidelberg’s focus this week is making tackles at the point of attack.
“We have to tackle,” Dear said. “They do a good job of catching the ball in tight spaces and making big plays out of it. We have to tackle, and not blow assignments on the back end. You can’t go to sleep on them in the back end.”
Tavion Jones leads Heidelberg in tackles with 62. The senior defender has one sack, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
Kickoff Friday night in Taylorsville is scheduled for 7 p.m.
