Denison hasn't had much luck against Lovejoy recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Yellow Jackets will welcome the Leopards at 7:00 p.m. Denison has given up an average of 29.7 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Denison is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Anna on Thursday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Yellow Jackets took a blow against the Coyotes, falling 49-17. While losing is never fun, the Yellow Jackets can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 321st, while the Coyotes are ranked 42nd).
Although Denison took the loss, they still got scores from Alex Camacho and Rashaun Dehorney.
Denison didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Camacho and Alyc Moore. Camacho got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Lovejoy suffered their closest loss since August 30, 2024 on Thursday. They fell just short of Walnut Grove by a score of 29-26.
Denison will have to contain Jacob Janecek as he made an impact in Lovejoy's last game. He threw for 303 yards and two TDs while completing 76.9% of his passes, and also rushed for 68 yards and one score. Janecek's passing game has become a key predictor of Lovejoy's success: the team is 2-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 2-3 otherwise. The Leopards' leading receiver Brody Hesson was Janecek's top target yet again, picking up 109 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Lovejoy's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Denison, their loss dropped their record down to 4-3.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Denison has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 197.1 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lovejoy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 178.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Denison was dealt a bruising 57-7 defeat at the hands of Lovejoy when the teams last played back in November of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Janecek, who rushed for 96 yards and three TDs on only nine carries, and also threw for 120 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Now that the Yellow Jackets know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
