For the first time this season, Stafford will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. After each having a week off, they and the Fort Bend Willowridge Eagles will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Stafford is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Last Friday, Stafford ended up a good deal behind Hamshire-Fannett and lost 31-14. While losing is never fun, the Spartans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 401st, while the Longhorns are ranked 174th).
The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Aiden Seales, who picked up 104 receiving yards and one TD, and also rushed for 45 yards. Another passer making a difference was Nate Ray, who threw for 124 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 3.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Jabrion Sonnier for the heroic effort on defense: he. Stafford didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.4.
Stafford's defensive line didn't let Blake Broussard, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Kendrik Ytuarte, Jose Deluna, and Sean Moorehead, who each picked up one sack apiece.
Meanwhile, while it was Fort Bend Willowridge who put the first points on the board last Friday, it was Rudder who put up more. The Eagles fell just short of the Rangers by a score of 24-21. The Eagles were right on the edge of victory: they outscored the Rangers in the fourth quarter 8-0.
Stafford's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Fort Bend Willowridge, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 1-4.
Stafford came out on top in a nail-biter against Fort Bend Willowridge when the teams last played back in October of 2024, sneaking past 13-10. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
