Football Game Preview: Hernando Tigers vs. Tupelo Golden Wave + Official Tickets

Hernando hasn't had much luck against Tupelo recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Tigers will host the Golden Wave at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Hernando 13.8, Tupelo 12.9) so any points scored will be well earned.

Hernando took a 35-point defeat the last time they faced off against Horn Lake, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Tigers won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by the Eagles 22-21.

The critical scores for Hernando came from Reid Sanders, Cooper Lankford, and Joseph Newberry.

Meanwhile, Tupelo got the win against Southaven on Friday by a conclusive 43-20. The Golden Wave haven't had any issues with the Chargers recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Kylan Bobo and Jaeden Hill. Bobo gained 178 total yards while Hill rushed for 130 yards on only six carries. Hill's longest rush was for an incredible 71 yards.

Tupelo was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 272 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 255 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.

Tupelo's defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. Jareylan McCoy was especially locked on to Southaven's QB and sacked him twice. Tupelo received some extra help from Jermil Jeffries, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.

Tupelo's victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Hernando, their win bumped their record up to 5-1.

Hernando was dealt a bruising 35-6 loss at the hands of Tupelo when the teams last played back in September of 2024. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Tigers were down 35-0.