The Ozark Hillbillies are taking a road trip to challenge the Mena Bearcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Ozark is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 71-7 victory over Dover. The win continues a trend for the Hillbillies in their matchups with the Pirates: they've now won eight in a row.
Ozark relied on the efforts of Cade Capp, who threw for 174 yards and two TDs on perfect 8-for-8 passing, and Lawson Wright, who rushed for 81 yards and a pair of scores. The dominant performance also gave Wright a new career-high in rushing touchdowns (two). Kanyon Connelly was in the mix too, providing Ozark with one touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Ozark was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 273 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 226 rushing yards every time they've taken the field this season.
Another reason for the win was Ozark's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. Leading the way was Maverick Krebs with two. Ozark received some extra help from Connelly, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, while Mena put up some points on Friday, the same can't be said for Lamar. The Bearcats were the clear victors by a 21-0 margin over the Warriors. The Bearcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matchups by 21 points or more this season.
Mena didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Beck Vacca and Chance Hughes. Hughes got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Ozark's record now sits at 4-1. As for Mena, their record is now an identical 4-1.
Ozark lost to Mena on the road by a decisive 35-18 margin in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Thankfully for the Hillbillies, Brody Peters (who rushed for 130 yards and a pair of scores) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
