The Leon Cougars will face off against the Shelbyville Dragons at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Shelbyville will be up against a hot Leon team: the squad just extended their winning streak to ten. The Cougars' defense stepped up to hand Groveton a 42-0 shutout on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Cougars' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 278th, while the Indians are ranked 897th).
Landon Thomas was his usual excellent self, rushing for 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only seven carries, while also throwing for 159 yards and two TDs. His longest rush was for an impressive 53 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Cooper Stevens was Thomas' top target, picking up one receiving yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Leon was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 326 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 188 rushing yards in eight consecutive matchups.
Shelbyville not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since November 15, 2024 (when they won 62-7). They blew past Hemphill 49-0. Considering the Dragons' offense had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Shelbyville found their leader in sophomore Gavin McDonald, who rushed for 84 yards and three scores, and also threw for 209 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 76.5% of his passes. Those three rushing touchdowns set a new season-high mark for McDonald. Tate Obregon helped out on the ground, rushing for 115 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Shelbyville picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 3-7. As for Leon, their record now sits at 10-0.
Thursday's game might be decided on the ground. Leon has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 256.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Shelbyville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 182.7 rushing yards. There's a good chance Thursday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Leon was dealt a bruising 62-7 loss at the hands of Shelbyville in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
