The Gaither Cowboys will take on the Wharton Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Gaither will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
If Gaither beats Wharton with 49 points on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Cowboys claimed a resounding 49-0 win over Springstead. The Cowboys might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by 36 points or more this season.
Gaither found their leader in sophomore Ryan Browning, who threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns on only 18 passes, and also rushed for 32 yards. Joshua Balloon was another key player, gaining 89 total yards and two touchdowns.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Gaither proved: they limited Springstead to a paltry 2.9 yards per carry. While three picked up at least ten total tackles, Balloon stood above the rest. He picked up 68 receiving yards and one TD, and also punched in one score on the ground. Gaither didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 11.
Special teams played a big role in the game for Gaither, adding 13 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Ryan Hamilton, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Wharton and Plant have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Friday. The Wildcats took a 28-12 bruising from the Panthers. While the Wildcats didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Panthers 5-0 in the first quarter.
Wharton's loss dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Gaither, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Everything came up roses for Gaither against Wharton in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 54-6 win. In that matchup, the Cowboys amassed a halftime lead of 34-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
