It will be the battle of the running backs when Vidalia visits Loyola Prep of Shreveport tonight.

The contest will be played at Parkway High in Bossier City, La.

Vidalia is led by senior running back Dariel Mays, who has 1,442 yards rushing on the season.

Loyola is led by senior Jonathan Simo, who has 985 yards and is expected to be Caddo Parish’s all-time top rusher by the time he finishes this year.

Both teams are 6-1 on the season. The Flyers are ranked No. 5 in Class 2A, while the Vikings are rated No. 7.

&uot;They’ve got a good ball club,&uot; said Vidalia coach Dee Faircloth. &uot;The last three years they’ve gone deep into the playoffs. They were in the quarterfinals last year and have a lot of players back from that team.&uot;

Although it is a is a non-district game, both teams will take the game seriously.

&uot;This is a good test for us,&uot; Faircloth said. &uot;We’ll be able to gauge how we shape up against the rest of Class 2A. There’s no pressure since it’s not a district game. We can just go out there, have fun and see if we can stop Simo and their tall quarterback. The only negative will be the long bus ride.&uot;

Vidalia and Loyola have never played against each other in football, although the two schools have met in baseball playoffs.

&uot;We’ve never seen them and they’ve seen us,&uot; Faircloth said. It’s going to be a playoff atmosphere. They’re going to be in the playoffs.&uot;

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