The Caldwell Hornets will square off against the Sealy Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Caldwell has given up an average of 40 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Sealy is facing Caldwell at the wrong time: Caldwell suffered their first home loss of the season on Friday and they're likely out for redemption. They lost 48-27 to the Leopards.
Caldwell might have lost, but man, Coy Becka was a machine: he rushed for 222 yards and three TDs while picking up 9.3 yards per carry. Becka really tore up the turf during one magnificent 80-yard run.
Even if they lost, Caldwell's defensive line still kept up the pressure with four sacks. In that department, Rj Gonzales was the leader with two.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for Sealy on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Madisonville out of the water with a 42-10 final score. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Caldwell better keep an eye on Kane Killough. He was instrumental in Sealy's win, rushing for 181 yards and one touchdown while picking up 10.1 yards per carry, and also throwing for 295 yards and three TDs while completing 78.9% of his passes. That's the most passing yards Killough has posted since back in November of 2024. Weston Cryan was Killough's top target, picking up 81 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Sealy was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 322 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Madisonville only rushed for 139.
Sealy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Brady Cranfill, Cryan, and Brandon Burditt picked up one apiece. Sealy got some further help from Jadon Hernandez: he picked up a sack and made 14 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
The win made it two in a row for Sealy and bumps their season record up to 7-1. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 17 points in those games. As for Caldwell, they now have a losing record of 3-4-1.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Caldwell has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 183 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Sealy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 240.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Caldwell took a serious blow against Sealy in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, falling 43-14. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of the Tigers' Beau Finley, who threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Now that the Hornets know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.
