Preview: Connally Cadets vs. Jasper Bulldogs
The Connally Cadets will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against the Jasper Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on November 17th. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Connally walked away with it. They put the hurt on Giddings with a sharp 27-6 win on Friday. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as Connally just coasted through the last quarter.
Connally's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jamarion Vincent, who rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Connally also got help from Kobe Black who showed off his sure hands for 113 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, Jasper's and Columbia's match on Thursday was close at halftime, but Jasper turned on the heat in the second half with 28 points. Jasper blew past Columbia 35-12. Jasper might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won five matchups by 22 points or more this season.
Zykeelan Hadnot was a one-man wrecking crew for Jasper as he rushed for 170 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. Hadnot was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 65 yards. Another player making a difference was Ja'keman Harris, who rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Connally's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-3. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 19 points. As for Jasper, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's game: Connally has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 337.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Jasper struggles in that department as they've been averaging 253.4 per game. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
Connally couldn't quite finish off Jasper when the teams last played back in November of 2021 and fell 23-20. Thankfully for Connally, Zikeice Simmons (who rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries, and also threw for 56 yards and a touchdown on only five passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
