Richland is on a ten-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while McKenzie is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Raiders will welcome the Rebels on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Richland is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They blew past South Fulton 42-8. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 35-0.
Jake Sands had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 78 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Richland was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 293 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2024.
Richland didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Shooter Foster and Kam Drake. That interception marked the first that Foster has snagged this season.
Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely McKenzie's strategy against Greenfield on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that the Rebels blew the Yellowjackets out of the water with a 56-6 final score. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Rebels' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee football rankings (they are ranked 48th, while the Yellowjackets are ranked 232nd).
Richland better keep an eye on Cole Brown. He was instrumental in McKenzie's win, rushing for 90 yards and a pair of TDs on only five carries, while also throwing for 163 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 passes. Brown also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack, making five total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defending one pass.
McKenzie's defense made their presence known, laying out Easton Sullivan three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Brown, Aiden Callis, and Aiden Legens, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Richland's victory bumped their record up to 10-2. As for McKenzie, their win bumped their record up to 11-1.
Richland was dealt a bruising 56-7 loss at the hands of McKenzie when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Thankfully for the Raiders, Tate Surber (who threw for 280 yards and five TDs while completing 88% of his passes, and also rushed for 76 yards and one score) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
