Two dominant signal callers in Billy Middleton and Caden J Granberry are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Red Oak Hawks will welcome the Tyler Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Red Oak has given up an average of 30.7 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Red Oak is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 35 points two weeks ago, they were much more limited against Midlothian on Friday. They took a blow against the Panthers, falling 46-10. The Hawks were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 32-7.
The match pitted two dominant signal callers against one another in Middleton and Beau Wendel. Wendel had a great game and rushed for 102 yards and a pair of TDs on only nine carries. Meanwhile, Middleton did his best for the losing side, rushing for 79 yards and one score.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Tyler duked it out with Midlothian last Friday. The Lions took a 49-43 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Panthers. While losing is never fun, the Lions can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 341st, while the Panthers are ranked 97th).
Red Oak will need to focus on slowing down Ashton Arriaga, one of several Tyler players who made an impact when they last played. He rushed for 89 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine carries. Christopher Moore was another key player, picking up 110 receiving yards and one TD.
Special teams was a major factor in the game for Tyler, racking up 11 points in total. All came from Marvin Espinal: he went 3-for-3 kicking field goals for nine points, and 2-for-2 kicking extra points for an additional two.
Red Oak moved to 5-4 with that loss, which also ended their three-game winning streak. As for Tyler, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Red Oak has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 162 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Tyler struggles in that department as they've been averaging 182.9 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Red Oak was able to grind out a solid victory over Tyler in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, winning 45-35. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
