Football Game Preview: Northwest Rankin Cougars vs. Oak Grove Warriors + How To Watch

Northwest Rankin is 0-7 against Oak Grove since November of 2019 but things could change on Friday. The Cougars will be playing at home against the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

It was a proper cat-fight when Northwest Rankin challenged Meridian on Friday. The Cougars enjoyed a cozy 31-12 win over the Wildcats. That 19 point margin sets a new team best for the Cougars this season.

Jermany Hayden continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 233 yards and one TD. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Phillipson, who threw for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Oak Grove faced Brandon in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Warriors came out on top against the Bulldogs by a score of 20-7. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Warriors.

Oak Grove's win came from a few key players Northwest Rankin will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Deavious Weary, who picked up 106 receiving yards and two scores. He got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 90 yards. Another rusher making a difference was Chavel Williams Jr., who rushed for 85 yards and one TD on only 11 carries.

On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Oak Grove's defense and their three sacks. Bryan Balam was particularly dangerous to the passing game, picking up two himself. Oak Grove got some further help from Josiah Shirley: he made 12 total tackles (1.0 for loss).

Northwest Rankin's victory bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Oak Grove, their win bumped their record up to 6-3.

Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Northwest Rankin has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 164.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Oak Grove struggles in that department as they've been averaging 170 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Northwest Rankin was dealt a bruising 59-30 defeat at the hands of Oak Grove when the teams last played back in October of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Warriors' Kellen Hall, who threw for 287 yards and five touchdowns while completing 73.9% of his passes. Now that the Cougars know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.