The SelPort Lumberjacks are taking a road trip to take on the Odessa Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: SelPort has struggled recently with seven losses in a row, while Odessa will arrive with four straight wins.
SelPort is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Curlew on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Lumberjacks were dealt a 44-14 defeat at the hands of the Cougars. The Lumberjacks were down 36-6 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Danny Searson (Northport) put forth a good effort for the losing side as he picked up 62 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 31 yards. He was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield on a catch that went for 62 yards.
Meanwhile, Odessa got themselves on the board against Columbia on Friday, but Columbia never followed suit. They blew past the Lions 56-0. The matchup marked the Tigers' most dominant victory of the season so far.
SelPort better focus on containing Landon McMillan and Aiden Villane as the pair were huge in Odessa's win. McMillan rushed for 136 yards and four TDs on only seven carries, while Villane gained 213 total yards and three touchdowns. Another player making a difference was Kolter Watson, who rushed for 49 yards and one score.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Odessa was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 396 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Odessa didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut McMillan.
Odessa's record is now 4-0. As for SelPort, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. SelPort has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 206.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Odessa struggles in that department as they've been averaging 323.5 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
SelPort took a serious blow against Odessa in their previous matchup back in September of 2024, falling 52-0. Can the Lumberjacks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
