Two dominant backs in Carson James and Elijah Irvin are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Arlington Heights Yellowjackets will head out to face off against the Saginaw Rough Riders at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Arlington Heights knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past six games -- so hopefully Saginaw likes a good challenge.
Arlington Heights' defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They really took it to Polytechnic for the full four quarters, racking up a 65-0 victory. The Yellowjackets haven't had any issues with the Parrots recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
A big part of Arlington Heights' victory came down to the chemistry between Carmelo Carter and his top target Yakeime Thomas. Carter rushed for 73 yards and one TD while Thomas gained 120 total yards and two touchdowns.all of that, rushing production came thanks to one massive run Antonio Johnson made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Saginaw, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Saturday. They took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 48-14 win over Trimble Tech. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Rough Riders' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 507th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 1018th).
Saginaw's win came from a few key players Arlington Heights will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Joshua Greek, who threw for 164 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Derek Harris also deserves some recognition as he hauled in his first receiving touchdown of the season.
Saginaw didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Trimble Tech to a completion percentage of just 40%. The team can thank Cornell Davis for the heroic effort on defense: he. Saginaw wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 60.9%.
Saginaw didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. Jaivean Goff led the group effort, picking up two of those interceptions all by himself. Enrique Cox got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Saginaw now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Arlington Heights, their record now sits at 6-0.
Arlington Heights came up short against Saginaw in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 21-15. Can the Yellowjackets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
