Football Preview: Hillcrest Patriots vs. Hueytown Golden Gophers
The Hillcrest Patriots will take on the Hueytown Golden Gophers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hillcrest is coming into the matchup on a three-game losing streak.
Hillcrest is likely headed into the contest with a focus on the second half, which is when things went downhill against Hewitt-Trussville on Friday. Hillcrest lost 37-16 to Hewitt-Trussville.
Despite their defeat, Hillcrest saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Bryson Kimbrough, who threw for 249 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.9 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 43 yards, was perhaps the best of all. Jordan Chambers-Smith was Kimbrough's top target, picking up 118 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Even though they lost, Hillcrest was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 281 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 152 rushing yards in five consecutive games.
Hillcrest'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 Ja?Marion Bennett.
Meanwhile, Hueytown's offense rose to the challenge against a Tigers defense that boasted an average of only 11.2 points allowed last Friday. Hueytown was the clear victor by a 34-14 margin over Bessemer City. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Golden Gophers just coasted through the last quarter.
Hillcrest's loss ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 2-3. As for Hueytown, the win got them back to even at 2-2.
Everything came up roses for Hillcrest against Hueytown in their previous meeting back in September of 2023, as the squad secured a 35-6 victory. In that match, Hillcrest amassed a halftime lead of 29-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
