VERSAILLES, Mo. - The Versailles Tigers will go back in football time for the first round of district play tonight.
Sixth-seeded Versailles (4-5) travels to third-seeded El Dorado Springs (5-4) tonight in Class 2 District 4 action (7 p.m. kickoff).
As one of the smaller schools in the Tri-County Conference, the Tigers have certainly paid their dues. Now Versailles head coach Broc Silvers hopes to reap the benefits of playing that rugged competition.
"When you play five or six teams up (in larger classifications) you like playing that better competition - as long as you stay healthy and play with confidence," Silvers said. "The thing you worry about are those injuries."
Now turning their attention to the El Dorado Springs Bulldogs, they will face an offensive formation from the past.
"They run an old-school straight T," Silvers said of the Bulldogs. "They have three backs lined up side-by-side, with just one-foot splits. So they're pretty tight. They use a lot of misdirection. And it's tough for our kids to transition to. We see Eldon's (similar wing-T formation) with that misdirection, but you have to prepare for it. It's a different type of game.
"Defensively they run a 4-4 (formation) and a cover-3 (secondary). They're a team we saw film on last year and they're much-improved. They play with a lot of excitement and with a little different type of football than you see played here."
El Dorado Springs secured a winning record entering district play by clipping Skyline 31-30 last week by blocking an extra point.
"Their schedule is random because they're an independent team," Silvers said. "They played Stockton to an eight-point game, so we know they have played really well at times."
The Bulldogs have won four of their last five games and are averaging 32.7 points per game. And their defense has been stout, allowing 19.0 points per game, including a shutout and two games in which they gave up just six points.
Leading the charge for the Bulldog offense is a pair of go-to running backs in senior Trenton Hardie and junior Tanner Witt, who have both rushed for more than 900 yards. Also, senior running back Jake Schieffer has run for 232 yards.
Junior quarterback Trey Babcock has passed for more than 400 yards. His top target has been junior tight end Shelby McKinney.
Senior linebacker Dakota Long paces El Dorado Springs in tackles with 100, while senior middle linebacker Blake Holder has 81, junior end Keilan Jaques 61 and Schieffer, a cornerback, 40.
"Their middle running back is a traditional fullback," Silvers said. "Their left halfback is a little, speedy guy and their right halfback catches the ball some."
The Bulldog defense will have to deal with the Versailles' passing attack. Sophomore quarterback Coby Williams has completed 100-of-173 passes for 1,302 yards with 14 interceptions and eight touchdowns. Senior slotback Kooper Wilson is the area's leading receiver with 52 receptions for 669 yards and three TDs while senor wideout Wyatt Espinosa has 13 catches for 151 yards and senior running back Taylor Dobbins 10 catches for 104 points.
Dobbins paces the Tigers in rushing with 508 yards and six TDs while Williams has rushed for 280 yards and five TDs and junior fullback Michael Trotter 263 yards.
Trotter, a defensive end, leads the squad in tackles with 107 - including 75 solo -while Wilson, a strong safety, has 59 tackles and Williams, a defensive back, 49.
Trotter has 15.5 tackles for loss and senior end Jonathan Geier has 8.5. Espinosa, a cornerback, has three interceptions.
Defending Class 2 state champion Lamar (8-0) is the top seed, Fair Grove (7-2) is No. 2, followed by El Dorado Springs (5-4), Warsaw (4-5), Cole Camp (4-5), Versailles (2-7), Stockton (3-6) and California (1-8).
The Versailles/El Dorado Springs winner will play the Fair Grove/Stockton winner in district semifinal play next week.