After each having a week off, the Thomson Bulldogs and the Jackson Red Devils will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Jackson will be up against a hot Thomson squad: the team just extended their winning streak to five. Thomson simply couldn't be stopped last Friday as they easily beat Butler 56-6. The game was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 49-0.
Thomson's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dallas HIll, who rushed for 42 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also threw for 78 yards and one TD on only six passes. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Jaris Sinkfield, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Thomson was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 200 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 196 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Thomson, adding 14 points to the final score. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Sinkfield, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Jackson took their contest last Friday with ease, bagging a 42-13 victory over Westside. The Red Devils pushed the score to 42-7 by the end of the third, a deficit the Seminoles cut but never quite recovered from.
Jackson had a senior duo take command as Canaan Bernhardt threw for 261 yards and two TDs on only 17 passes and Jaison McCall picked up 144 receiving yards. McCall is becoming a predictor of the Red Devils' success: when he posts at least 100 receiving yards the team is 2-1 (and 2-5 when he doesn't).
Thomson's record is now 7-3. As for Jackson, their record now sits at 4-6.
Thomson won a game that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in November of 2021, slipping by Jackson 21-20. Will the Bulldogs repeat their success, or do the Red Devils have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
