Preview: Connally Cadets vs. Madisonville Mustangs
Connally is 4-0 against Madisonville since November of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Connally Cadets will be playing in front of their home fans against the Madisonville Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the pair will really light up the scoreboard.
Connally fell on hard times earlier this season, but after back-to-back wins it seems like their luck might finally be changing. They enjoyed a cozy 39-21 win over Salado on Friday. Given Connally's advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 231st, while Salado is ranked 568th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Connally found their leader in underclassman Jamarion Vincent, who threw for 117 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 passes. Ke'Are Riley got in on the action as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Madisonville stacked a fourth blowout onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They blew past Gatesville, posting a 46-7 win at home. With Madisonville ahead 36-0 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
Madisonville can attribute much of their success to Lorenzo Johnson, who picked up 155 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Ty Williams, who threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.4 yards per attempt. Johnson was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield for a catch that went for 68 yards.
Their wins bumped Connally to 5-3 and Madisonville to 7-1.
Keep an eye on the end zone in Friday's game as the pair haven't had much trouble getting there this season. Connally commands a daunting offense this season, having averaged 5.2 touchdowns per game. However, it's not like Madisonville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.1 per game. With these two high-octane teams facing off on Friday, fans should be in for an exciting offensive matchup.
Everything came up roses for Connally against Madisonville when the teams last played back in October of 2022 as the team secured a 61-14 win. Will Connally repeat their success, or does Madisonville have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
