The Tigers already have the biggest road win of the season in District 16-4A, beating Waco Midway at Floyd Casey Stadium.

Can they complete the 16-4A road two-step?

If Corsicana is going to pull it off, the Tigers have to waltz into Lumpkins Stadium and upset 8-0 Waxahachie, ranked No. 4 in the state.

A win would put the Tigers (4-4, 3-2) in position to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 with Cleburne left on the schedule.

“It would be the biggest win of the year,” Tigers coach Phil Castles said. “They’re definitely the big dogs of the district.”

The Indians, the only team in 16-4A to have clinched a playoff spot, are a dominant offensive football team, averaging 425 yards per game. They are especially adept at running the football to the tune of 300 yards per game.

Waxahachie has seven rushers with at least 100 yards. Running back LaJordan Easley has 609 yards and averages 11.7 yards per carry. Quarterback Venique Benton has 506 yards and eight touchdowns (he has passed for 948 yards). Running back Jamison Sterns, who just committed to UTEP for basketball, has 365 yards and eight touchdowns.

“We’ve got some guys that we can utilize their talents,” Indians coach David Ream said. “I don’t think we’re one-dimensional even though we like to run the ball.”

The Tigers have had their problems at times against the run, but did improve in last Friday’s 32-22 win over Waco High, limiting the Lions to 138 yards on 38 carries.

“We played sound defense against option football,” Castles said. “We took care of our assignments. But Waxahachie has a ton of weapons.”

Waxahachie’s offense is more in line with Corsicana’s two-back formation with two receivers. The difference is Benton will run out of the shotgun — the Zone Read has given the Tigers problems — and he also will take off on draws and traps from under center.

The Tigers have lost five straight to Waxahachie. The Indians have piled up points on Corsicana the last three years, scoring 42.6 points per game.

So is there a chink in Waxahachie’s armor?

Well, the Indians did have to go to overtime to win at Cleburne last week, 49-36, getting the go-ahead touchdown on Sterns’ 25-yard run. Devin Chandler then had an 87-yard fumble return for a touchdown the strange overtime score.

The Yellow Jackets do appear to be an improved team, but they did go 0-7 in district a year ago.

And there’s this little old thing called a rivalry. Waxahachie has controlled the series, but the Tigers did end three-game losing streaks to the Indians in 1995 and 2003.

“We’re looking at a team that knocked off Midway, a Top 10 team in the state,” Ream said. “It’s a big game for both teams.”

Castles is looking for some carry over from that 40-31 win over Midway on Oct. 2. The Tigers scored two defensive touchdowns and had a long run from sophomore Johnathan Anderson among their big plays.

“It’s definitely a confidence booster,” Castles said. “We can play with the good teams and beat them.

“But looking at this next bunch it’s a combination of everything. They’re a complete team and a rival and we’re playing a game with playoff implications.”

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Corsicana at Waxahachie

7:30 p.m. , Friday (1340 KAND-AM)

At Lumpkins Stadium

RECORDS: Class 4A Corsicana (4-4, 3-2 in District 16-4A) is unranked. Class 4A Waxahachie (8-0, 5-0) is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Class 4A State Top 10.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Corsicana: WR Javonti Hines, OL Dominique Miller, DT Christian White, LB Martin Davis. Waxahachie: QB Venique Benton, RB LaJordan Easley, RB Jamison Sterns, DE Gerald Randle.

UPDATE: Waxahachie won last year’s game at Tiger Stadium, 49-20, eliminating Corsicana from the playoff race and giving the Indians a five-game winning streak vs. the Tigers, the longest in the series going back to 1980 ... The Tigers are 2-2 on the road with wins at Waco Midway and Whitehouse. Corsicana also lost in overtime at Ennis and by 11 points at Jacksonville ... Waxahachie clinched a playoff spot with last week’s 49-36 overtime win at Cleburne. The Indians trailed the Yellow Jackets, 36-28, late in the game ... The Tigers are 4-1 this season when they score first ... QB Cameron Cutrer has passed 1,113 yards and seven TDs ... WR Javonti Hines is averaging 19.9 yards per reception, which includes a 97-yard touchdown pass thrown by Cutrer in the 28-21 OT loss at Ennis ... Waxahachie is averaging 43.3 points per game at home ... The Indians want to do most of their damage on the ground, but WR Ladarius Brown has 19 catches for 423 yards and WR Sam Gagliano has 23 catches for 305 yards ... Indians DE Gerald Randle has nine sacks and 10 tackles for a loss ... Waxahachie is a plus-14 in turnover margin.

— Todd Wills

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