Football Game Preview: Gruver Greyhounds vs. Stratford Elks

Gruver is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Friday. They will challenge the Stratford Elks at 7:00 p.m. Gruver knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 31 points or more in their past three games -- so hopefully Stratford likes a good challenge.

On Friday, Gruver was fully in charge, breezing past River Road 54-6. The win continues a trend for the Greyhounds in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won four in a row.

Meanwhile, Stratford unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Friday. They received a blow as they fell 41-26 to Childress.

Gruver will have to keep a close watch on Darius Jones and Chase Lantelme, a pair of players who had a big impact on Stratford's prior game. Jones picked up 205 receiving yards and two TDs, while Lantelme threw for 245 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.7 yards per attempt. Jones' longest reception was for an incredible 77 yards.

Stratford's loss dropped their record down to 4-2. As for Gruver, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.

Gruver was able to grind out a solid win over Stratford in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, winning 33-26. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Greyhounds since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.