By Brad Greer
When  Benton Academy and North Delta School look across the field at each other tonight, both teams will see some striking similarities.

Both have identical records of 1-2 on the season. Both, at times, run from the power ‘I’ offense and each has size on  both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Throw all of those intangibles together and it has all the makings for a intriguing matchup.

“We look alike in so many ways, we are both very big, but I think one difference is they have a lot of seniors and we don’t,” said North Delta head coach Lance Thomas.

“We have both lost two very close ballgames that we should have won. They have played hard in the games they lost, so if the ball would have bounced one way or another you could have had two undefeated teams going at it tonight.”

Benton, which is located  between Canton and Yazoo City, has lost its last two games by a total of three points. The Raiders started of the season on a high note by hammering Carroll Academy 39-8 before losing to Winona 16-14 and last week to Hebron Christian 25-24 in a game which Benton led 24-14 going into the final quarter.

One main concern for the Raiders heading into tonight’s battle has been the injury bug that has hit the team in the last two weeks.

“We’ve got four starters that are out for the game so that some of our younger kids have got to be ready to play,” said fifth-year head coach John Baker. “North Delta likes to run the football. They have a big fullback that likes to pound the ball, but on the other have they can hurt you with that tall wide out they’ve got. He had a big game last week we need somebody to cover him close.”

Junior quarterback Bucky Shipp will direct the Raiders offense along with tailback Clark Jackson. Right tackle/noseguard Ben Beckwith and middle linebacker Vince Clark lead the ‘5-3’ Benton defense.

North Delta quarterback Bateman Greenlee is coming off an outstanding game last week in which the senior threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns, both of which went to sophomore Jim Tom Copleand, for a 25-20 victory over Lee, Ark. Geri Lamm and Hunter West also found the endzone for the Green Wave.

North Delta’s defense will once again be tested by the Raiders ground game, something that the Wave might have the upper hand on.

“I feel good about our matchup with their ground game. They like to run the ball and I feel like we can stop the run. Benton runs some play-action type passes but 85 percent of their offense is on the ground, so I’m hoping those odds will be in our favor,” said Thomas.

In last week’s win over Lee, the Wave defense held the Cougars to 29 yards rushing including eight in the first half. Holding down the defensive front are  Jay McClora, Robbie Ball and Greenlee at the ends with Conor Ferguson and Clayton Cole at the tackle positions. Linebackers include Tres Brasell, Michael Magee, West and John Paul Keel.

Lamm and Corbin Baker are at the cornerback slots while Bryan Nickle is the lone saftey.
Kickoff tonight will be at 7 p.m instead of the regular 7:30 time slot.