Football Preview: Troup Tigers vs. Arp Tigers
Troup and Arp are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The Troup Tigers will venture away from home to face off against the Arp Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Troup beat Rusk 24-14. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tigers.
Troup can attribute much of their success to Brett Wells, who rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and Bryce Wallum, who rushed for 125 yards on only 11 carries. Wells' rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fifth straight game with at least 118 rushing yards dating back to last season. Hayden Huml made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Troup was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 273 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 201 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Troup wouldn't let Rusk keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Troup can thank Sean Flood and Jackson Waller for forcing both of them. Troup got some further help from Noble Kendrick: he made 15 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, everything went Arp's way against Sabine on Friday as Arp made off with a 46-20 win. That 26 point margin sets a new team best for the Tigers this season.
Arp's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Thomas Mckelvey, who threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.3 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Josh Smith was another key back, rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries.
Arp's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Isaac Poe and Wyatt Johnson.
The win got Troup back to even at 2-2. As for Arp, their record now sits at 3-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Troup has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 304.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Arp struggles in that department as they've been averaging 249.2. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Troup was able to grind out a solid victory over Arp in their previous matchup back in October of 2023, winning 35-28. Will Troup repeat their success, or does Arp have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
