Football Game Preview: Russell County Warriors vs. Stanhope Elmore Mustangs

The Russell County Warriors will take on the Stanhope Elmore Mustangs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Russell County sitting on six straight victories and Stanhope Elmore on three.

If Stanhope Elmore heads into halftime all tied up, they better play a good second half: that's when Russell County took over last week. The Warriors came out on top against Valley by a score of 44-34 on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Warriors' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Alabama football rankings (they are ranked 34th, while the Rams are ranked 86th).

Chris Lucas

Rushing Yards

09/26/25 @ Valley	136
09/19/25 @ Park Crossing	47
09/12/25 vs Percy Julian	46
09/05/25 vs Wetumpka	115
08/29/25 @ Eufaula	172
+ 1 more games

Russell County found their leader in sophomore Chris Lucas, who rushed for 136 yards and five touchdowns. With that strong performance, Lucas is now averaging an impressive 103 rushing yards per game. Bryson Riggins was another key player, having thrown for 291 yards.

Meanwhile, Stanhope Elmore didn't have too much trouble with Smiths Station on Friday as they won 35-21.

Stanhope Elmore's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Russell County, their victory bumped their record up to 6-0.

Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Russell County has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 163 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Stanhope Elmore struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 278.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Russell County strolled past Stanhope Elmore when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a score of 42-28. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.