Syrupmakers and Trojans to battle Friday

Two of the top teams in Georgia are set to face off this Friday night as the Cairo Syrupmakers travel to Carrollton to take on the Carrollton Trojans in an 8 p.m. showdown for the right to advance to the semifinals in AAA. Both teams are undefeated at 12-0, and both are ranked as one of the top teams in the state. Because of their number one seeds in the playoff brackets, a coin toss was used to determine the site of the game. The Trojans won the toss and will host the big battle this Friday night.
“Two teams that are very much alike, good team speed, tough defenses, both undefeated,” is how Cairo head coach Tom Fallaw describes this Friday night’s match up. The Trojans have stormed through their 2010 schedule averaging 46.8 points per game, with three games totaling over 60 points each. Cairo has gone undefeated as well, averaging 35.5 points per game. Both teams had their closest contests this past Friday night with Carrollton beating St. Pius X 14-7 and Cairo edging Eastside 11-7.
The Trojans run a high powered wing-T offense.  “They are very well coached and fundamentally sound in all phases of the game. They have scored a lot of points this season. They have very good skilled athletes and a very sound offensive line,” said Fallaw. The last time the Syrupmakers faced a wing-T offense was in the Georgia Dome in 2007 against North Hall, a team they defeated 42-21.
On defense, the Trojans don’t give up a lot of yards or points. The Trojans have given up just over 6 points a game, while the Maker defense has given up about 4 points a game. “Teams have had a hard time moving the ball on their defense, they just don’t give up much,” said Fallaw. Both teams have five shutouts on the season. The Trojans averaged giving up one score a game with the exception of two games in which their opponents scored 20 and 21 points, respectively.
The Trojans trailed for the first time this season when they fell behind to St. Pius X 7-0 before scoring 14 unanswered points to pick up the win. Cairo scored a touchdown and had two safeties in their win Friday night over Eastside.
The Syrupmakers are out of school this week. However, the Cairo coaching staff looks to keep everything as close to routine as possible, practicing daily before heading up to Carrollton for the Friday night battle.
Tickets are on sale at Center Drugs for $10 and at the gate on Friday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.