Preview: Chapel Hill Bulldogs vs. Henderson Lions
The Chapel Hill Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Henderson Lions at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Chapel Hill unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell 35-23 to Lindale. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Chapel Hill came into the game with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 85th, while Lindale is ranked 228th).
Chapel Hill's loss came about despite a quality game from Rickey Stewart, who rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries. Stewart's longest rush was for an incredible 90 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayvin Mayfield, who picked up 122 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Henderson's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their sixth straight loss. They had to suffer through a rough 46-17 loss at the hands of Kilgore. Henderson was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 30-10.
Despite the loss, Henderson saw an underclassman step up: Jesstin Starling rushed for 123 yards while picking up 7.2 yards per carry. Starling is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last five games he's played.
Having lost for the first time this season, Chapel Hill fell to 6-1. As for Henderson, their loss was their fourth straight at home, which dropped their overall record down to 1-6.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground as these two are both standouts in the run game. Chapel Hill has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 394.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Henderson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 226.7 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Chapel Hill against Henderson when the teams last played back in October of 2022 as the team secured a 41-10 victory. Will Chapel Hill repeat their success, or does Henderson have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
