Herrin battles Murphysboro in matchup of 3-1 teams

HERRIN -- A pair of 3-1 teams square off tonight in Murphysboro as the Herrin Tigers hit the road to west Jackson County to take on the Red Devils.
Murphy lost its season opener 35-13 to Carbondale (4-0), but hasn't lost since, posting wins over Anna-Jonesboro, Carterville and Massac County last Friday (42-0) in the River to River Conference Ohio Division opener for both teams.
Herrin, meanwhile, is also 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the league after rolling to a 49-7 road win over Benton last week. 
The Tigers' other wins have come at home against Waterloo and Carterville. Their one loss was a 31-25 overtime thriller in Week 3 against undefeated Du Quoin.
The Red Devils, without the services of their star quarterback Jamarr McZeke (broken wrist), have turned to Ryan Finke to direct the offense. He attempted only one pass last week, completing it for a 25-yard gain to Hunter Meade. But then again, he didn't need to throw the ball.
Top rusher for Murphy last week was Kevin Kirkwood with 148 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Aiden McNitt followed with 71 yards. Dezmond Clark contributed 66 yards and Jake Hoppenstedt added 53 yards. The team's leading rusher last year, Zane Caraway, added 32 yards. 
The Tigers are led by seniors Jackson Yates and Tate Johnson who have combined for more than 1,000 yards of offense in four games. Last week, it was Johnson's turn to shine, scoring three TDs, including a 93-yard reception, a school record, and 95-yard kick return to start the second half.
Junior quarterback Chance Karnes enjoyed his best game to date, throwing a touchdown and rushing for another. 
Herrin head coach Jason Karnes said he expects a battle Friday with the Red Devils.
"Murphysboro's always a tough place to play. They're well coached and their offensive scheme is hard to defend with them running a shotgun Wing T. They always have a lot of team speed, so I'm looking for a good match."
While losing McZeke is certainly a blow to the Red Devils' chances, Karnes said there are still plenty of offensive weapons at Murphy head coach Gary Carter's disposal.
"They don't throw the ball 15 or 20 times," Karnes said. "They're going to hand the ball off and run a lot of things to get mismatches on you. The last 4-5 years they've been a very good program. Coach Carter's done a good job of turning that program around. We will have to play good, sound defense and take care of the football to win."
Karnes said he likes his team's skill set.
"We're explosive," he said. "Any time Jackson Yates or Tate Johnson get their hands on the ball, they can take it to the house. Even with Jeff Rock at fullback and Chance at quarterback -- when those guys are playing well, we're tough to defend."
Game time is 7 p.m. at Doc Bencini Field in Murphysboro.