The Roswell Hornets will face off against the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Roswell sitting on ten straight victories and Thomas County Central on 13.
Roswell is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against Sequoyah by a score of 42-35.
It was another big night for Trey Smith, who rushed for 161 yards and two scores while picking up 7.7 yards per carry, and also threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns on only ten passes. Roswell's leading receiver Wills Campbell was Smith's top target yet again, picking up 230 receiving yards and three TDs.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Thomas County Central against Woodward Academy on Friday as the squad secured a 49-19 win. Considering the Yellow Jackets have won 12 matchups by more than 23 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Thomas County Central's win came from a few key players Roswell will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jaylen Johnson, who rushed for 57 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 188 yards and one touchdown while completing 73.7% of his passes. What's more, he posted two rushing touchdowns, the most he's had since back in August of 2024. Another player making a difference was Christian Lawrence, who rushed for 129 yards and one TD.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Thomas County Central was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 235 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive games.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Thomas County Central, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Lawrence, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Thomas County Central's victory bumped their record up to 13-0. As for Roswell, their win bumped their record up to 12-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Roswell has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 260.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Thomas County Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 218.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Roswell beat Thomas County Central 42-34 in their previous meeting back in November of 2022. Do the Hornets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Yellow Jackets turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
