Football Game Preview: Harper Longhorns vs. Thorndale Bulldogs

The Harper Longhorns are taking a road trip to square off against the Thorndale Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Harper has given up an average of 31.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Harper will head out to face Thorndale after giving up their first home loss of the season on Friday. The Longhorns were dealt a 42-7 defeat at the hands of San Saba.

Meanwhile, Thorndale never let their opponents score on Thursday. They blew past Johnson City 47-0. The Bulldogs have beaten the Eagles the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Eagles has come to flipping the script.

Harper better keep an eye on Hudson Thigpen. He was instrumental in Thorndale's win, rushing for 310 yards and four scores while picking up 11.9 yards per carry.

Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Thorndale proved: they limited Johnson City to a paltry 1.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Kale Meadors for the heroic effort on defense: he. That's the most yards per carry they've posted since back in November of 2024.

Harper's loss dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Thorndale, their record is now 5-3.

Harper lost to Thorndale on the road by a decisive 40-25 margin in their previous meeting back in November of 2024. Thankfully for the Longhorns, Noah Crabtree (who rushed for 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 8.7 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.