The Wharton Wildcats will challenge the Armwood Hawks at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Wharton has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Armwood will arrive with eight straight victories.
On Friday, Wharton was beaten by Gaither 48-7. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 214th, while the Cowboys are ranked 32nd).
Despite the defeat, Wharton saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Ty Nesmith rushed for 105 yards and two TDs on only ten carries.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Armwood). They blew past Steinbrenner 58-0 on Friday. The Hawks' defense has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a point in their last three matchups.
Armwood's win came from a few key players Wharton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Rhys Brush, who rushed for 45 yards and one score, and also threw for 90 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only eight passes. Jarvis Howell II was another key player, throwing for 66 yards and a pair of TDs.
Armwood's run defense was locked in: Steinbrenner could only muster -0.1 yards per carry. The team can thank Jeremiah Sykes for the heroic effort on defense: he. Armwood didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 10.1.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Armwood, adding 16 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Larry Warren, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Wharton now has a losing record of 4-5. As for Armwood, their win bumped their record up to 8-0.
Wharton took a serious blow against Armwood in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 55-0. Will the Wildcats have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.
