The Bastrop Bears will head out to square off against the Liberty Hill Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Bastrop sitting on nine straight victories and Liberty Hill on seven.
On Saturday, Bastrop was fully in charge, breezing past Pflugerville 70-6. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bears' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 129th, while the Panthers are ranked 409th).
Gary Jefferson Jr.
| 11/01/25 vs Pflugerville | 2 |
| 10/24/25 @ Elgin | 4 |
| 10/17/25 vs Navarro | 3 |
| 10/09/25 @ Pflugerville Connally | 2 |
| 09/25/25 @ McCallum | 3 |
| 09/19/25 vs Crockett | 3 |
Bastrop can attribute much of their success to Weston Nielsen, who threw for 252 yards and six touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes, and Gary Jefferson Jr., who gained 211 total yards and three touchdowns. Jefferson Jr. is also on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in each of the last six games he's played. Diego Rangel also helped with two TDs in total.
Bastrop was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 314 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Liberty Hill challenged Crockett on Friday. The Panthers took their game with ease, bagging a 63-6 win over the Cougars. The matchup was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Panthers had established a 43-point advantage.
Liberty Hill's win came from a few key players Bastrop will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Pierre Dylan Belinga, who rushed for 76 yards and one score. He was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 50 yards. Another player making a difference was Bryce Muchaw, who rushed for 54 yards and one touchdown.
One reason for the win was Liberty Hill's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Grey Hargrove, Kaden Cockburn, and Alex Merino, who each picked up one sack apiece. Hargrove was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making ten total tackles.
Bastrop's record is now 9-0. As for Liberty Hill, their record now sits at 7-2.
Bastrop didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Liberty Hill in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 35-31 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bears since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
