Football Game Preview: Blue Ridge Tigers vs. Howe Bulldogs

Blue Ridge is a perfect 3-0 against Howe since October of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. Blue Ridge has given up an average of 33.8 points per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Blue Ridge will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up six points last Friday, then bounced right back against Callisburg on Friday. The Tigers walked away with a 47-34 victory over the Wildcats.

Liam Finan

Passer Rating

10/03/25 @ S & S Consolidated	148.1
10/31/25 @ Callisburg	147.1
09/12/25 vs Bonham	138.4
09/19/25 @ Honey Grove	129.6
10/10/25 vs Leonard	101.4
+ 3 more games

Blue Ridge got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Liam Finan out in front who threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.3 yards per attempt, and also punched in one score on the ground. Finan's passing game has become a key predictor of the Tigers' success: the team is 3-1 when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 1-3 otherwise. Jacob Walker helped Finan out on the ground, rushing for 136 yards and a pair of TDs on only 14 carries.

Blue Ridge's defensive line stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Jaycob Contreras, Gavin Burch, and Jonathan Cheatham, who each picked up one sack apiece.

Meanwhile, Howe was not able to break out of their rough patch last Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 14-11 heartbreaker at the hands of Callisburg.

The victory got Blue Ridge back to even at 4-4. As for Howe, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-7.

Everything came up roses for Blue Ridge against Howe when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the team secured a 55-14 win. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.