Zephyrhills has won nine straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Port Charlotte has won nine straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Bulldogs will host the Pirates at 7:30 p.m. Zephyrhills' defense has only allowed 7.9 points per game this season, so Port Charlotte's offense will have their work cut out for them.
On Friday, Zephyrhills took their contest with ease, bagging a 46-7 win over Fivay. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won seven matchups by 31 points or more so far this season.
Zephyrhills' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Roe Miller, who rushed for 153 yards and three scores while picking up 9.0 yards per carry. Miller was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 51 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Patrick Harding, who threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes.
Meanwhile, Port Charlotte slipped by Naples 28-27 on Friday.
Zephyrhills better keep an eye on Logan Flaherty. He was instrumental in Port Charlotte's win, throwing for 208 yards and a pair of TDs, while also punching in one score on the ground.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Port Charlotte proved: they limited Naples to a paltry 1.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Kadyn Palmer for the heroic effort on defense: he. They're 2-1 when they shut down the run game so well.
Zephyrhills' victory bumped their record up to 9-0. As for Port Charlotte, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Zephyrhills has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 205.4 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Port Charlotte struggles in that department as they've been averaging 164.3 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Zephyrhills couldn't quite get it done against Port Charlotte when the teams last played back in November of 2024 as they fell 28-18. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Flaherty, who rushed for 132 yards and one touchdown on only 14 carries, and also threw for 122 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 84.6% of his passes. Now that the Bulldogs know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
