After each having a week off, the Knoxville Central Bobcats and the Halls Red Devils will shake off the rust and duke it out on Thursday. The two teams might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 872 yards in their previous games.
Last Friday, Knoxville Central sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 24-21 win over McMinn County.
Kaden Long produced another solid effort rushing for 121 yards and one score on only 15 carries, while also throwing for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Javaston Badgett also helped out as he racked up 113 receiving yards.
Halls not only won last Friday, but they posted their biggest win since November 1, 2024 (when they won 40-3). They claimed a resounding 49-15 victory over Karns. The Red Devils' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Halls' win came from a few key players Knoxville Central will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Amari Lethgo, who threw for 298 yards and four TDs while completing 88.2% of his passes. That's the most passing yards he has posted since back in October of 2024. Brody Rogers was in the mix as well, providing Halls with three touchdowns.
Halls' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-3. A key ingredient in that success has been their performance when it comes to yards per carry: they averaged an imposing 5.6 yards per carry in those games compared to only 2.13 in the others. As for Knoxville Central, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.
Thursday's game might be decided in the trenches. Knoxville Central has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 175.9 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Halls, though, as they've been averaging only 87.8 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Knoxville Central was dealt a bruising 40-3 loss at the hands of Halls when the teams last played back in November of 2024. Can the Bobcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
