Football Game Preview: West Hardin Oilers vs. Evadale Rebels

West Hardin hasn't had much luck against Evadale recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Oilers will look to defend their home field against the Rebels at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.

West Hardin is returning home triumphant after the team finally put their road woes behind them against Hull-Daisetta on Friday. The Oilers were the clear victors by a 34-14 margin over the Bobcats.

A big part of West Hardin's victory came down to the chemistry between Marcus Hashaw and his top target Dmarques Guillory. Hashaw rushed for 43 yards and a pair of scores while Guillory picked up 126 receiving yards and one TD. Hashaw didn't just play on offense: he also made one tackle and defended one pass in addition to snagging an interception which he returned for a touchdown.

West Hardin didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Owen Beauchamp and Hashaw. Hashaw got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Evadale humbled Acadiana Christian with a 43-6 victory. The Rebels have beaten the Defenders the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Defenders has come to flipping the script.

A big part of Evadale's win came down to the chemistry between Brett Buckner and his top target Gavin Maxfield. Buckner threw for 302 yards and five touchdowns while completing 85.2% of his passes while Maxfield picked up 122 receiving yards and three TDs. Buckner has been hot recently, having posted four or more passing touchdowns the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Brantley Badger, who picked up 91 receiving yards and one score.

The victory got Evadale back to even at 2-2. As for West Hardin, their win bumped their record up to 2-3.

Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. West Hardin has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 151 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Evadale, though, as they've been averaging only 77.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?

West Hardin came up short against Evadale in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 45-38. Will the Oilers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.