The Bastrop Bears will face off against the Pflugerville Panthers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
The home team had come away the winner the last five times Bastrop and Elgin had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Bears took their game on Friday with ease, bagging a 62-6 win over the Wildcats. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bears' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 166th, while the Wildcats are ranked 809th).
Bastrop can attribute much of their success to Gary Jefferson Jr., who rushed for 151 yards and four touchdowns on only 11 carries, and Weston Nielsen, who threw for 248 yards and three TDs. Jefferson Jr. got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 80 yards. Brent Carter was Nielsen's top target, picking up 66 receiving yards and a pair of scores.
Bastrop's run defense was locked in: Elgin could only muster 0.3 yards per carry. The Bears didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 11.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pflugerville, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They breezed past Crockett to the tune of 62-7 on Friday. That 55 point margin sets a new team best for the Panthers this season.
Bastrop better keep an eye on Cole Taylor. He was instrumental in Pflugerville's win, throwing for 344 yards and six touchdowns while picking up 15.0 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 56 yards and one TD on only seven carries. With that strong performance, Taylor is now averaging an impressive 303.1 passing yards per game.
Pflugerville didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Kurmar Shepard, Melvin McPherson, and Ryder Deal picked up one apiece.
Pflugerville has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 49.7 points over those games. As for Bastrop, their win bumped their record up to 8-0.
The upcoming contest will be a clash of competing strengths. Bastrop has deployed a run-first offense that has averaged 191.6 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, Pflugerville has preferred to attack from the air: they average 308.5 passing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Bastrop beat Pflugerville 38-28 in their previous matchup back in November of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Panthers' Rhyder Miller, who rushed for 104 yards and a pair of scores. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Bears to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
