Football Game Preview: Roosevelt Rough Riders vs. Copley Indians

The Roosevelt Rough Riders will head out to challenge the Copley Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Roosevelt will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Barberton, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Rough Riders managed a 33-29 win over the Magics on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rough Riders.

Meanwhile, Copley hadn't done well against Aurora recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Indians walked away with a 21-14 victory over the Greenmen. The game was the first time the Indians have beaten the Greenmen on their field since October 9, 2020.

Copley's win came from a few key players Roosevelt will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Dane Wininger, who rushed for 97 yards and one TD, and also threw for 58 yards and one touchdown. Those 97 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Bryce Martin helped out on the ground, rushing for 99 yards and a rushing touchdown.

One reason for the win was Copley's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Rhalachi Childs, James Cruz, and Justin Chatmon, who each picked up one sack apiece. Copley got some further help from Childs: he picked up a sack and made ten total tackles (2.0 for loss).

Roosevelt's record now sits at 4-2. As for Copley, their record is now an identical 4-2.

Things could have been worse for Roosevelt, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 34-20 loss to Copley when the teams last played back in September of 2024. Can the Rough Riders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.