Football Game Preview: Howard Lions vs. River Hill Hawks

The Howard Lions will face off against the River Hill Hawks at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Howard is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They blew past Long Reach 47-6. The Lions haven't had any issues with the Lightning recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.

Darius Moore and Donte Jones were among the main playmakers for Howard as the former rushed for 143 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries and the latter rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. Moore also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making nine total tackles (2.0 for loss) and defending one pass. Darian Nicholson made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Howard was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 330 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 161 rushing yards in nine consecutive contests.

Howard didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Nicholson, Jayson Allen, Craig Jordan, and Jahari Palmer picked up one apiece. Howard got some further help from Garrett McGrail: he picked up two sacks, forced one fumble, and made four total tackles (4.0 for loss).

Meanwhile, while River Hill put up plenty of points on Thursday, the same can't be said for Poolesville. The Hawks breezed past the Falcons to the tune of 63-0. The Hawks' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Howard's win bumped their record up to 7-3. As for River Hill, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 7-3.

Howard took their win against River Hill in their previous matchup back in September of 2024 by a conclusive 34-14 score. Do the Lions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.