All-Time Matchup Monday: 2007 Liberty Hill vs. 2008 Carthage

LHCarthageMainEditor’s Note: Every Monday during the offseason, we’ll bring you our new running series, All-Time Matchup Monday, where we’ll pit two of the greatest teams in Texas high school football history against each other, throw a few theories around on who might come out on top, and then we’ll ask you to settle the debate for us. You can also nominate all-time teams and games. Just tweet @dctf with the hashtag #MatchupMonday with your nominations. Week 1:2000 Midland Lee vs. 1996 Austin Westlake Fan vote results: 2000 Midland Lee Week 2:1970 Austin Reagan vs. 1973 John Tyler Fan vote results: 1973 John Tyler Week 3:2015 Katy vs. 2013 Allen Fan vote results: 2015 Katy Week 4:1983 Daingerfield vs. 1988 Dallas Carter Fan vote results: 1983 Daingerfield Week 5:2008 Lake Travis vs. 2006 Southlake Carroll Fan vote results: 2008 Lake Travis Week 6: 2005 Celina vs. 1997 Sealy Fan vote results: 2005 Celina Week 7: 1978 Houston Stratford vs. 1980 Odessa PermianFan vote results: 1980 Odessa Permian Week 8: 1998 Stephenville vs. 2003 Galena Park North ShoreFan vote results: 1998 Stephenville Week 9: 1973 Big Sandy vs. 2015 CanadianFan vote results: 2015 Canadian Week 10: 2010 Aledo vs. 1985 Houston YatesFan vote results: 1985 Houston Yates WEEK 11 MATCHUP: 2007 Liberty Hill vs. 2008 CarthageWhy Carthage would win It took little time for head coach Scott Surratt to build an East Texas dynasty at the Class 3A level. The Bulldogs hadn’t reached a state championship game since 1991 before Surratt took the job to start the 2007 season. In 2007, Carthage was knocked out of the playoffs by eventual state champion, Liberty Hill. Carthage would go 33-0 in playoff and district games over the next three seasons, capturing three-straight titles beginning with the Class 3A Division II crown in 2008. It was an upset victory for the Bulldogs, beating a physical and experienced Celina team that knocked off two-time defending state champion Liberty Hill the previous week. Carthage built its dynasty on the legs of running back Dwight Smith. The senior broke single-season records at Carthage with over 2,600 yards and 40 touchdowns. Quarterback Si’Darius Blackshire passed for over 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns, while the offensive line was dominant as a group. The linebacker trio of Kendall Thompson, Caleb Pope and Kyle Deaton recorded over 450 tackles as a group and held opponents to 282 points in 16 games. The offense scored 705 points as a team and ended the season on a 13-game winning streak after falling to Kilgore and Nacogdoches in non-district play. Surratt and Carthage remains a perennial contender for the state championship. Why Liberty Hill would win The Panthers built a powerhouse 30 miles outside of Austin with a team-oriented rushing attack and a stellar defense. The Wing-T was perfected over a four-year span at Liberty Hill, beginning in the 2005 season. The 2009 graduating class at Liberty Hill, in a four-year span, reached a state semifinal, won two-straight state championships and then lost another state semifinal. Those seniors lost six total games in four years with two being in the state final game. Liberty Hill won the 2006 state championship in Division II before putting together a perfect 14-0 season in 2007 to claim a Class 3A Division I state championship with a win over Gilmer. Liberty Hill lost to Wimberley by four points on Sept. 29 of 2006 and didn’t lose another game until Celina knocked them off in the 2008 state semifinals. Liberty Hill did it with balance. The Panthers averaged less than two pass attempts a game and still scored more than 45 points a game on nearly 500 yards of offense. Running back Dusty Gonzalez rushed for over 2,200 yards and 30 touchdowns despite fewer than 200 carries. Doug Allman, also a running back, nearly broke the 2,000-yard mark himself. Six players carried the ball at least 50 times that season for the Panthers. The defense wasn’t bad, either. Cody Lattimore was four-year starter at linebacker and earned All-State honors. The defensive line wasn’t huge, but head coach Jerry Vance used that group to be athletic and disrupt teams in the backfield. [poll id="103"] Craven’s Prediction: Liberty Hill The Panthers featured the most diverse rushing attack I’ve ever seen and I’d like to go visit my parents again. Greg Tepper’s Pick: Carthage Two explosive offenses with weapons to spare, but it's the Bulldogs' surprising defense that carries them to a win. Max Thompson’s Pick: Carthage I witnessed the Liberty Hill machine in person many times, but still think in what would surely be a shootout, the Bulldogs would have the edge. Fan vote results: Announced next Monday.