Preview: Madison County Cowboys vs. Hawthorne Hornets
Madison County has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Hawthorne Hornets at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Madison County had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They breezed by Bozeman at home to the tune of 61-22. Given Madison County's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida football rankings (they are ranked 58th, while Bozeman is ranked 204th), the result on Thursday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Madison County relied on the efforts of Za?vion Bryant, who rushed for 40 yards and two touchdowns, and Ryshard Miller, who rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries. Tre'vion Gillyard also deserves a shout-out for his two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Hawthorne put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They didn't even let Blountstown onto the board and left with a 49-0 victory. Hawthorne's win was all the more impressive since Blountstown was averaging only 17.83 points allowed on the season.
Hawthorne relied on the efforts of Keenon Johnson, who rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.3 yards per carry, and Cj Ingram, who threw for 156 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson has been hot recently, having posted 100 or more rushing yards the last seven times he's played.
Madison County pushed their record up to 10-1 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 41.0 points per game. As for Hawthorne, their victory bumped their record up to 12-0.
Madison County won a matchup that couldn't have been any closer when the teams last played back in December of 2021, slipping by Hawthorne 13-12. Does Madison County have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hawthorne turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
