Football Game Preview: Pontotoc Warriors vs. Shannon Red Raiders

The Pontotoc Warriors will take on the Shannon Red Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Pontotoc's last matchup with New Albany could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's contest on Friday. The Warriors came up short against the Bulldogs, falling 45-22. The Warriors have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Meanwhile, after only six points in their last matchup, Shannon made sure to put some points up on the board against Saltillo on Friday. The Red Raiders enjoyed a cozy 40-21 victory over the Tigers.

This one was won in the trenches and the lion's share of the credit has to go to Brayden Hooks and Braylen Deans. Hooks rushed for 139 yards while picking up 7.7 yards per carry while Deans rushed for 88 yards on only eight carries. Those 88 rushing yards gave Deans a new career-high.

Shannon was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 293 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Shannon's defense and their three sacks. Jaiden Clark refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Shannon got some further help from Clark: he picked up 1.5 sacks, forced one fumble, and made five total tackles (2.0 for loss).

Shannon now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Pontotoc, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 3-1.

Pontotoc suffered a grim 21-0 defeat to Shannon in their previous meeting back in September of 2023. Thankfully for the Warriors, Trey Spurgon (who threw for 241 yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 60 yards and one TD) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.