Football Preview: White Oak Roughnecks vs. Atlanta Rabbits
The White Oak Roughnecks are taking a road trip to take on the Atlanta Rabbits at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
While White Oak didn't have the best season last year (they finished 0-10), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They pulled ahead with a 35-34 photo finish over Queen City on Friday. The Roughnecks' win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead White Oak to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jaxsen Ludlow, who threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for 85 yards. 80 of those passing yards were hauled in by Tysen McClain, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Atlanta). They breezed by Mount Vernon on the road to the tune of 60-17 on Friday. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Rabbits with their most commanding win of the season.
Atlanta got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Markeylin Batton out in front who rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and also picked up 98 receiving yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, Batton is now averaging an impressive 101.5 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Peyton Harrison, who threw for 235 yards and five touchdowns on perfect 9-for-9 passing.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Atlanta was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 290 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 154 rushing yards in three consecutive contests.
Atlanta wouldn't let Mount Vernon keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force three fumbles. It was truly a group effort as Landon ?Boosie? Johnson, Caleb Francisco, and Francisco picked up one apiece.
White Oak's record now sits at 4-0. As for Atlanta, their record now sits at 3-1.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. White Oak has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 217 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Atlanta struggles in that department as they've been averaging 166.8. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
White Oak took a serious blow against Atlanta when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 67-0. Can White Oak avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
