Preview: Pittsburg Pirates vs. Liberty-Eylau Leopards
Pittsburg is on a three-game streak of home losses, Liberty-Eylau a four-game streak of away losses, but someone's luck is about to change. The Pittsburg Pirates will take on the Liberty-Eylau Leopards at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Pittsburg pushed their score all the way to 35 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 40-35 hit to the loss column at the hands of Spring Hill.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Jaylen Holloway, who rushed for 160 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.4 yards per carry. Holloway hasn't dropped below 100 rushing yards for five straight games. Lachristian Johnson was another key contributor, rushing for 35 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Liberty-Eylau lost to Pleasant Grove on the road by a decisive 42-27 margin on Friday. While losing is never fun, Liberty-Eylau can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 616th, while Pleasant Grove is ranked 62nd).
Jaquan Johnson put forth a good effort for the losing side as he gained 103 total yards and a touchdown. He was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 51 yards.
Pittsburg's defeat dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Liberty-Eylau, their loss dropped their record down to 1-6.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: Pittsburg has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 160.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Liberty-Eylau struggles in that department as they've been averaging 159.4 per game. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Pittsburg came up short against Liberty-Eylau in their previous matchup back in October of 2022, falling 41-30. Will Pittsburg have more luck at home instead of on the road?