The Haltom Buffalos will take on the Lamar Vikings at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Haltom comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
Last Friday, Haltom came up short against Arlington and fell 28-21. The Buffalos were up 21-7 in the third quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.
Haltom might have lost, but man, Vudrico Roberson was a machine: he rushed for 237 yards and one TD while picking up 7.6 yards per carry. Roberson was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 69 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Nathaniel Golatt, who rushed for 45 yards and a pair of scores.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Lamar). They strolled past Martin with points to spare last Thursday, taking the game 40-21. The win was all the more spectacular given the Vikings' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 298th, while the Warriors are ranked 128th).
Lamar's win came from a few key players Haltom will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tayrone Thomas, who rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 108.5 rushing yards per game. Another player making a difference was Jayden Shaw, who threw for 265 yards and one TD while picking up 11.5 yards per attempt.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Lamar was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 289 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
One reason for the win was Lamar's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for four sacks. Martin's QB won't forget Marquis Reis anytime soon given he sacked him twice. Reis is also on a roll when it comes to total tackles, as he's now made seven or more in each of the last five games he's played dating back to last season. Another thorn in Martin's side was Braylon Williams, who made 12 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
The victory got Lamar back to even at 2-2. As for Haltom, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Haltom has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 281.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Lamar struggles in that department as they've been averaging 181.2 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Haltom didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Lamar when the teams last played back in September of 2024, but they still walked away with a 38-33 win. Will the Buffalos repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
