Football Game Preview: Athens Hornets vs. Center Roughriders

The Athens Hornets will head out on the road to square off against the Center Roughriders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Athens' favor is that they have posted at least 31 points in their last six matchups.

Athens took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 60-6 win over Rusk. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 39-0.

David Richardson

Passing Touchdowns

10/23/25 vs Rusk	3
09/19/25 vs Jacksonville	0
09/12/25 @ Palestine	2
08/29/25 vs Henderson	3

David Richardson had another great game (as he tends to do), throwing for 160 yards and three TDs, while also rushing for 81 yards and one touchdown on only eight carries. That's the most passing touchdowns he has posted since back in August. Another player making a difference was CHARLI KISER, who rushed for 100 yards and one score on only seven carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Athens was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 218 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rusk only rushed for 60.

Meanwhile, Center really took it to Brownsboro for the full four quarters, racking up a 58-22 victory. The win continues a trend for the Roughriders in their matchups with the Bears: they've now won six in a row.

Athens better focus on containing Jeremy Bluford and Easton Wulf as the pair were huge in Center's win. Bluford rushed for 179 yards and a pair of TDs on only 13 carries, while Wulf rushed for 84 yards and three touchdowns on only nine carries. Bluford's longest rush was for an impressive 67 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Bracadon Robinson got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

The victory got Center back to even at 4-4. As for Athens, their record now sits at 6-2.

Athens strolled past Center in their previous meeting back in November of 2024 by a score of 43-26. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.