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Rivalry Week: Skeeters, Stallions meet for the 43rd time in city's oldest football series
By DEVIN HASSON, dhasson@starlocalnews.com
One of the longest-standing rivalries in the area will be renewed on Friday when Mesquite and North Mesquite meet at 7:30 p.m. at Mesquite Memorial Stadium.
This will be Homecoming for the Stallions, but as is the case every year, both teams can expect alumni from generations past to attend the 43rd meeting in the series.
Mesquite has won seven of the last eight meetings, including last season's 34-7 victory, and holds the edge in the all-time series, 22-19-1.
Mesquite is enjoying its best season since winning the state championship in 2001. They are a perfect 7-0 overall and their 3-0 district record puts them in sole possession of first place in 12-5A.
North Mesquite, conversely, is 2-4 overall and fell to 1-1 in district play with last week's loss to Rockwall.
But neither team expects what has happened in the weeks leading up to Friday to have any impact once they step out onto the field.
"It is one of those games that both teams really want to win and that (records, history) doesn't matter," said Mesquite head coach Robbie Robinson, who has seen his share of games in the rivalry as a player and coach for the Skeeters. "It is always one of the biggest and one of the best games of the year."
The Skeeters have become not only the talk of the town but that of the region with its hot start. Mesquite has won every game by at least 14 points, including solid district victories over Longview, Rockwall-Heath and Horn.
But the Skeeters are not likely to rest on their laurels anytime soon. Many of the seniors were part of the team that went 1-9 just two years ago and it is a memory that has not been forgotten.
"I think it keeps us humbled," Robinson said. "It is not something we dwell on, but at the same time, we want them to remember and I think it helps to keep us grounded."
Mesquite's Alex Cooper has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the area. The senior leads the district completing 74 percent of his passes (149-of-201) for 2,081 yards and 15 touchdowns compared to just two interceptions. Cooper can also change the game with his legs, rushing for 336 yards and eight scores.
The Skeeters have three of the district's top wide receivers in Rashard Higgins (43 catches, 810 yards, five touchdowns), Dameon Gamblin (32-471) and Jordan Bracy (26-280), as well as Dezmon Jackson, who caught an 83-yard touchdown pass last week.
Throw in workhorse running back Junior Session and Mesquite boasts one of the top offenses in the area.
That is not a good combination for a North Mesquite defense that ranks last in 12-5A giving up 371 yards per game.
One area where the Stallion defense could impact the game is with big plays. North Mesquite leads the district with nine interceptions, including four by Thomas Oberg, who has returned picks for touchdowns in each of the last two games.
On offense, North Mesquite has made progress in the passing game, but is still fueled by its running attack paced by Ta'Varius Luke and Corey Hunt, who have combined for 1,044 yards.
If the Stallions are going to pull off the upset, they will likely need that ground game to be at full speed against a Mesquite defense that gave up 266 rushing yards to Horn last week.
While the Skeeters have had the upper hand recently, the pendulum has swung back and forth between the teams over history.
North Mesquite won the first-ever meeting in 1970 with a 15-10 victory and took three of the first four games.
The Stallions have had a pair of four-game winning streaks (1984-1987, 1994-1997) while the Skeeters have won six in a row twice (1988-1993, 2004-2009).
And then there are those on both sides that still dispute the 0-0 tie in 1983. At that time, there was no overtime and because it was a regular season game, it went down in the record book as a tie.
However, because a playoff berth was on the line, a winner needed to be declared. While the teams were deadlocked on penetrations, the Skeeters held a 12-9 advantage in first downs to not only send them to the postseason, but also give their fans a reason to lay claim to a 23rd victory in the series.
In addition to bragging rights, this year's game has major district implications as both the Skeeters and Stallions are in the middle of the playoff race. But the game will also have lasting effects as this year's teams add their own chapter to the city's oldest rivalry.
"I know that North Mesquite is going to be ready to play and wants this game, and so do we," Robinson said. "I've been through enough of these to know that anytime these two schools hook up, you have to be ready to strap it on and give it everything you have."
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