Preview: Jackson County Panthers vs. Lanier Longhorns
Jackson County is 0-1 against Lanier since October of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Jackson County Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Lanier Longhorns at 7:30 p.m. Jackson County is hoping to put an end to a six-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Two weeks ago, Jackson County humbled Shiloh with a 36-7 victory.
RJ Knapp and Mj Spurlin were among the main playmakers for Jackson County as the former threw for 73 yards and a touchdown and the latter rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Lanier was fully in charge on Thursday, breezing past Apalachee 42-13 on the road. Given Lanier's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 81st, while Apalachee is ranked 359th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Preston Ratliff looked great while leading his team to the win, throwing for 237 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Tayo Ashadele also deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
Their wins bumped Jackson County to 4-4 and Lanier to 6-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: Jackson County has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 200 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lanier struggles in that department as they've been averaging 186.9 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Jackson County came up short against Lanier when the teams last played back in October of 2022, falling 21-14. Can Jackson County avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
