Football Preview: Haywood Tomcats vs. Maplewood Panthers
The Haywood Tomcats will stay at home for another week and welcome the Maplewood Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Last Friday, Haywood blew past Obion County, posting a 43-13 victory at home. The result was nothing new for the Tomcats, who have now won four matches by 30 points or more so far this season.
Haywood's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kemonte Williams, who rushed for 75 yards and two touchdowns. The team also got some help courtesy of Carson Graves, who threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns on only five passes.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Maplewood). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Glencliff 54-0 at home. The high-scoring effort was just what the Panthers needed considering they were shutout in their previous contest.
Maplewood found their leader in underclassman Jayon Washington, who rushed for 64 yards and two touchdowns on only eight carries, and also threw for 99 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes. The dominant performance gave Washington a new career-high in rushing yards. Christian Beatie was another key rusher, rushing for 61 yards and two touchdowns.
Maplewood's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Antonio Batey. Jaylan Strong was another major factor on D, picking up 0.5 sacks, forcing a fumble, and forcing a fumble.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Maplewood was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 242 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Haywood's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1. As for Maplewood, their win bumped their record up to 2-3.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Haywood has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 358.2 total yards per game. It's a different story for Maplewood, though, as they've been averaging only 198.4. Will Haywood be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will Maplewood flip the script?
Everything came up roses for Haywood against Maplewood in their previous matchup back in September of 2023 as the squad secured a 42-0 victory. Does Haywood have another victory up their sleeve, or will Maplewood turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
