Friday Night Lights: Fighting Falcons, Carterville for Perhaps the Final Time

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[For the first-and perhaps final time-the Elverado-Trico (coop) football team will travel to Carterville's sparkling new Tri-C Athletic Complex for a varsity game.

The Fighting Falcons (0-3, 0-3) face Carterville (2-1, 2-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in Black Diamond Conference play.

E-T has never beaten Carterville since beginning its coop program.

The last victories for Elverado over the Lions came in back-to-back years, 1985 and 1986 and then again in 1988.

EHS was a playoff qualifier in '85 and finished 6-2 the next year, earning consecutive runner-up finishes in the BDC.

The Fighting Falcons have lost 19 straight times dating back to 2007 while Carterville has posted lopsided wins over Carmi-White County (35-0) and Christopher/Zeigler-Royalton (21-0) following a shocking opening game loss to Sesser-Valier/Waltonville-Woodlawn (31-19).

"it's kind of a rebuilding season for us with a lot of young faces," veteran Carterville coach Dennis Drust (8th year, 66-12, 7-0 vs. E-T) said in the preseason. "This is a special year for us in the Black Diamond with it being our final year. The kids are excited and hope to challenge for the championship in their final season."

Carterville's offense is led by returners Dalton James (5'7, 140, sr.) and Trevor Pullum (5'10, 181, sr.) in the backfield.

Sophomore Jeff Aldridge (5'11, 162)has moved into the starting quarterback position with James back at the halfback position.

Zac Novak (5'7, 145, sr.) also provides plenty of backfield experience.

Anthony Lenzini (6'1, 206, sr.) and Dustin Bagwell (6'0, 203, sr.) lead a defense that's posted eight consecutive scoreless quarters.

E-T's triple option attack relieves heavily on sophomore quarterback Alex McGill and junior fullback Randy Goetz.