Stephenson has won nine straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Douglass has won nine straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Friday. The Jaguars will welcome the Astros at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Stephenson's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Luella 48-0. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point the Jaguars had established a 41-point advantage.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Stephenson to victory, but perhaps none more so than Anthony Booker, who rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries. Booker's longest rush was for an incredible 80 yards. Jayden Johnson was another key back, rushing for 112 yards and a pair of scores on only 12 carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Stephenson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 378 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 200 rushing yards in 18 consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Stephenson didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Marquis Brisco, Tyrell Eldridge, and Kayden Key picked up one apiece. Sergio Mason was another major factor on D, making eight total tackles (4.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Douglass put their dominant defense on display in the team's fourth consecutive shutout on Thursday. They really took it to Mt. Zion for the full four quarters, racking up a 31-0 win. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Astros' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 72nd, while the Bulldogs are ranked 221st).
Stephenson better keep an eye on Jecori Anderson. He was instrumental in Douglass' win, rushing for 162 yards and two TDs. Those two rushing touchdowns gave Anderson a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Zalen Green, who picked up 64 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Douglass' victory bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Stephenson, their win bumped their record up to 8-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Stephenson has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 329.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Douglass struggles in that department as they've been averaging 157.4 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Stephenson didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Douglass in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, but they still walked away with a 15-9 victory. Do the Jaguars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Astros turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
