Washington hasn't had much luck against Yates recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Eagles will take on the Lions at 12:00 p.m.
The home team had won the previous five meetings between Washington and North Forest, and North Forest kept the tradition alive. The Eagles had to suffer through a 38-8 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs. The Eagles were down 32-0 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from.
Even if they lost, Washington's defensive line still kept up the pressure with 3.5 sacks. Daryl Anderson refused to say out of the backfield, picking up 1.5 sacks all by himself. Washington received some extra help from Jaden Willliams, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Yates put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. Their defense stepped up to hand Northside a 63-0 shutout. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Lions' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 406th, while the Panthers are ranked 1191st).
Washington better keep an eye on Chris Brown. He was instrumental in Yates' win, throwing for 305 yards and four touchdowns while completing 83.3% of his passes, and also punching in one TD on the ground. That's the most passing yards Brown has posted since back in October of 2024. Yates' leading receiver Jordan Simmons was Brown's top target yet again, picking up 163 receiving yards and one score.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Yates, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Simmons, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Washington's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Yates, their win bumped their record up to 8-0.
Washington took a serious blow against Yates in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, falling 44-0. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Brown, who rushed for 232 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries, and also threw for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 12 passes. Now that the Eagles know the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
