Basketball Game Preview: Howell Central Spartans vs. Fort Zumwalt West Jaguars

The Howell Central Spartans will challenge the Fort Zumwalt West Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.

Last Tuesday, Howell Central took their matchup with ease, bagging a 62-34 victory over Troy-Buchanan. Given the Spartans' advantage in MaxPreps' Missouri basketball rankings (they are ranked 170th, while the Trojans are ranked 408th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Fort Zumwalt West, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They blew past Orchard Farm 56-18 on Tuesday. That looming 56-18 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Jaguars yet this season.

Fort Zumwalt West's win bumped their record up to 7-8. As for Howell Central, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 12 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 11-9 record this season.

Howell Central didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Fort Zumwalt West in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, but they still walked away with a 55-50 victory. Will Howell Central repeat their success, or does Fort Zumwalt West have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.