It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Shepherd Pirates had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They took down Kirbyville 42-28. Winning may never get old, but Shepherd sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Preston Stephens was his usual excellent self, rushing for 298 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 13.0 yards per carry. Stephens was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 54 yards. Landen Dellinger was another major influence, as he rushed for 66 yards and ran in a TD.
Shepherd now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Kirbyville, their defeat ended a six-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 8-3.
Shepherd will head out on the road to face off against Franklin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Franklin presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Shepherd in Texas (Franklin is ranked 74th, while Shepherd is ranked 521st). Kirbyville does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
