Preview: Bell Blue Raiders vs. North Crowley Panthers
Bell has been on the road for two straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will take on The North Crowley Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Bell sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 29-27 win over Boswell.
Bell haved a senior duo take command as Maddox Olatunde rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown on only 13 carries and Kenny Earskin rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries. Olatunde was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 66 yards. Andrew Rosen did his part by putting the 'special' in special teams, booting in three field goals and three extra points.
Meanwhile, North Crowley put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their undefeated season alive. They claimed a resounding 62-17 win over Weatherford at home. Fans of North Crowley have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season ended as a blowout.
North Crowley's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chris Jimerson, who rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns on only seven carries, and also threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns while completing 72.7% of his passes. The team also got some help courtesy of Cornelius Warren iii, who rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns on only 13 carries.
Bell's victory on Friday bumped their record up to 5-2. As for North Crowley, their victory was their fourth straight at home, bumping their overall record up to 7-0.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Bell has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 170.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like North Crowley struggles in that department as they've been even better at 325.9 per game. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Bell suffered a grim 33-7 defeat to North Crowley in their previous matchup back in October of 2022. Thankfully for Bell, Ka?morreun Pimpton (who picked up 99 receiving yards and three touchdowns) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
