Carthage and Pleasant Grove to meet up for final regional round of playoffs

MARSHALL, Texas (KSLA) - Two east Texas teams are getting ready to face off Friday night (Dec. 2) for the regional final round of high school football playoffs at the Maverick Stadium in Marshall, Texas.

Whoever takes the win for this game gets to head on to the state round of Class 4A Division II. The two powerhouse schools out of east Texas are getting ready for the rematch once again. Now, the game is expected to be a good one; both teams are currently ranked in the top five. The last time these two teams met up was in 2021. In that game, Carthage took home the crown. This season, the Carthage Bulldogs are undefeated, while the PG Hawks are 11-2 overall. But no matter the record, Carthage’s head coach says it’s time to execute, have lots of energy, and have fun.

”An advantage, hopefully our experience and I know they got a lot of experience too, but hopefully we are a little bit more experienced this year and the disadvantage is they got some good players and so... but we got good players too, so I think we match up well,” said Scott Surratt, head football coach at Carthage.

Meanwhile, Josh Gibson, head coach for Pleasant Grove, says he’s proud of his team and how they’ve been performing in the playoffs, but he says they can’t beat themselves or make mistakes.

“Whether it’s turning over the football or penalties, we can’t do those things. We have to play our best game and knock off the number one team, and I think they have to do the same thing to knock us off,” Coach Gibson said.

Traffic is expected to pick up in Marshall Friday night. Those driving around will want to make sure they leave earlier than normal and use precautions when driving. Tickets for the game can be bought online. There are no refunds or exchanges after purchase.

The clear bag policy is in effect. No outside food or drink is allowed. The game will kick off at 7 p.m.

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