Football Game Preview: Pendleton Bulldogs vs. Crescent Tigers

The Pendleton Bulldogs will challenge the Crescent Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Pendleton is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Belton-Honea Path just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They were dealt a 52-22 loss at the hands of the Bears. The Bulldogs were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 38-9.

Meanwhile, Crescent beat Chesnee 45-36 on Friday. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Pendleton better keep an eye on Mason Evans. He was instrumental in Crescent's win, rushing for 121 yards and four TDs on only 15 carries, while also throwing for 147 yards and one touchdown. Those four rushing touchdowns gave Evans a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kevin Hatten, who rushed for 91 yards and one score on only seven carries.

Crescent was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 242 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 183 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.

Pendleton's defeat was their first in the region, dropping their region record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-4. As for Crescent, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.

Pendleton came up short against Crescent in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, falling 14-7. Thankfully for the Bulldogs, Darius Latimer (who rushed for 137 yards and one TD on only 13 carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.