The Leroy Bears will challenge the Fruitdale Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Leroy has eight straight victories, Fruitdale has four straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, Leroy didn't have too much trouble with Southern Choctaw as they won 28-12. Those 28 points were actually the fewest the Bears have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Leroy had a senior duo take command as Keegan Giles gained 80 total yards and three touchdowns and Ja'Kavien Collins rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown on only 14 carries. Giles also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making three total tackles and defending one pass in addition to snagging an interception.
Leroy didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Joshua Reed and Giles. Another thorn in Southern Choctaw's side was Braxston Roberts, who made 14 total tackles (3.0 for loss).
Meanwhile, Fruitdale had to suffer through a 46-8 loss at the hands of Sweet Water.
Leroy will have to keep a close watch on Elijah Reed and Joshua Chestnutt, a pair of players who had a big impact on Fruitdale's prior game. Reed picked up 95 receiving yards and one score, while Chestnutt picked up 121 receiving yards. Reed showed off some serious burst, connecting on a big catch for 60 yards. Brantlee Seals was another key player, having thrown for 287 yards and onetouchdown.
Leroy's win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Fruitdale, their loss dropped their record down to 1-7.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Leroy has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 152.6 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Fruitdale, though, as they've been averaging only 61.6 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Everything went Leroy's way against Fruitdale in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as Leroy made off with a 38-13 victory. In that contest, the Bears amassed a halftime lead of 28-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
