Football Preview: Hillcrest Patriots vs. Hueytown Golden Gophers
The Hillcrest Patriots will face off against the Hueytown Golden Gophers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hillcrest is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.
Hillcrest is likely headed into the game with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Hewitt-Trussville on Friday. Hillcrest lost 37-16 to Hewitt-Trussville.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Bryson Kimbrough, who threw for 249 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.9 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 43 yards. Jordan Chambers-Smith was Kimbrough's top target, picking up 118 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Hillcrest was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 281 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 152 rushing yards in five consecutive matchups.
Hillcrest's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Ja?Marion Bennett.
Meanwhile, Hueytown's offense rose to the challenge against a Tigers defense that boasted an average of only 11.2 points allowed last Friday. Hueytown put the hurt on Bessemer City with a sharp 34-14 victory. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Golden Gophers just coasted through the last quarter.
Hillcrest's defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 2-3. As for Hueytown, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Everything came up roses for Hillcrest against Hueytown in their previous matchup back in September of 2023, as the team secured a 35-6 victory. In that contest, Hillcrest amassed a halftime lead of 29-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
