The Brady Bulldogs will face off against the Tolar Rattlers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Brady will be strutting in after a win while Tolar will be coming in after a loss.
While Brady's victory against Early wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Longhorns 17-15. Those 17 points were actually the fewest the Bulldogs have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
It was another big night for Ashton Taylor, who rushed for 205 yards and one score while picking up 8.2 yards per carry, and also picked up 53 receiving yards. He really tore up the turf during one magnificent 78-yard run.
Taylor was just one part of a punishing run game: Brady was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 315 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 163 rushing yards in 17 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Brady's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Johnny Roque, Demarcus Reed, and Nasir Menefield, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, Tolar came up short against Clifton on Friday and fell 22-13.
Although Tolar took the loss, they still got scores from Noah Boulanger and Kelvin Murray.
Brady is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 43.6 points over those games. As for Tolar, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-5 record this season.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Brady has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 357.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tolar struggles in that department as they've been averaging 149.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Brady might still be hurting after the 42-21 defeat they got from Tolar in their previous meeting back in November of 2024. Thankfully for the Bulldogs, Peyton Brown (who rushed for 228 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 11.4 yards per carry, and also picked up 30 receiving yards) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
