Armstrong (Kennedy) hasn't had much luck against Mechanicsville recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Wildcats will challenge the Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. Armstrong (Kennedy) will come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
Armstrong (Kennedy) will bounce into Thursday's contest after beating Hanover, who they had gone 0-3 against in their three prior meetings. The Wildcats really took it to the Hawks for the full four quarters, racking up a 47-16 victory. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by 28 points or more this season.
Shadarus Pickett
| 10/30/25 vs Hanover | 168 |
| 10/17/25 @ Atlee | 55 |
| 10/10/25 vs Greensville County | 39 |
| 10/03/25 vs Henrico | 156 |
| 09/25/25 @ King William | 72 |
| + 4 more games |
Armstrong (Kennedy) relied on the efforts of Shadarus Pickett, who rushed for 168 yards and three scores while picking up 9.9 yards per carry, and Anthony Hansom, who rushed for 105 yards and one TD. With that strong performance, Pickett is now averaging an impressive 104.6 rushing yards per game. Zion Williams was in the mix too, providing Armstrong (Kennedy) with two touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Armstrong (Kennedy) was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 327 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in October of 2024.
Another reason for the win was Armstrong (Kennedy)'s imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for five sacks. Hanover's QB won't forget A'Veri Hornes anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Hornes is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made six or more in each of the last 21 games he's played dating back to last season. Another thorn in Hanover's side was Ronald Jackson, who forced one fumble, made 12 total tackles (2.0 for loss), and defended one pass.
Meanwhile, Mechanicsville played a tough matchup on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against Atlee, falling 49-3. The contest marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring game so far this season.
Mechanicsville's defeat dropped their record down to 3-6. As for Armstrong (Kennedy), their win bumped their record up to 9-0.
Everything came up roses for Armstrong (Kennedy) against Mechanicsville when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 53-17 victory. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
