Football Game Preview: Birdville Hawks vs. Azle Hornets

The Birdville Hawks will face off against the Azle Hornets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Birdville is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Richland on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. The Hawks were dealt a 51-21 defeat at the hands of the Royals. While losing is never fun, the Hawks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas football rankings (they are ranked 342nd, while the Royals are ranked 125th).

Despite their loss, Birdville saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Zach Wells, who threw for 270 yards and one TD while completing 73.9% of his passes, and also punched in one score on the ground, was perhaps the best of all. The Hawks' leading receiver Quinton Giles was Wells' top target yet again, picking up 145 receiving yards.

Meanwhile, Azle was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat dating back to last season. They lost 63-42 to Brewer. On the bright side, the 42- point performance marked the Hornets' highest-scoring contest to date.

Birdville will have to contain Derrek Vowell as he made an impact in Azle's last game. He threw for 232 yards and four touchdowns, and also punched in one rushing score.

Azle's loss dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Birdville, they now have a losing record of 2-3.

Birdville came up short against Azle in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 48-43. Thankfully for the Hawks, Hagen Hughes (who rushed for 251 yards and four scores while picking up 13.9 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.