Football Game Preview: McDowell Trojans vs. St. Francis Red Raiders

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Previous 6 Games

10/25/24 - Home	33-35 L
10/27/23 - Away	31-34 L
10/28/22 - Home	42-28 W
10/29/21 - Away	3-21 L
08/31/18 - Home	58-33 W
09/02/17 - Away	23-21 W

McDowell and St. Francis are an even 3-3 against one another since September of 2017, but not for long. The Trojans will take on the Red Raiders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. McDowell has given up an average of 31.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

McDowell came up short against Steubenville on Friday, falling 36-13. While losing is never fun, the Trojans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' football rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 133rd in Pennsylvania, while the Big Red are ranked 46th in Ohio).

Meanwhile, St. Francis entered their tilt with Bishop Timon-St. Jude on Friday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They were the clear victors by a 59-35 margin over the Tigers. Things were looking grim for the Red Raiders in the first quarter (they were down by 20) but they stormed back to get the game.

St. Francis' win came from a few key players McDowell will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tyrone Clark Jr., who rushed for 120 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries. He also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, picking up a sack, forcing two fumbles, and making five total tackles. Another player making a difference was Trent Buttles, who rushed for 94 yards and one TD.

St. Francis was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 323 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bishop Timon-St. Jude only rushed for 179.

Special teams played a big role in the game for St. Francis, adding 11 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Clark Jr., who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

St. Francis' record now sits at 6-1. As for McDowell, they dropped their record down to 3-6 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road.

McDowell couldn't quite finish off St. Francis in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 and fell 35-33. Can the Trojans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.