The Mena Bearcats will head out to face off against the Ozark Hillbillies at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Mena's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.
Last Friday, Mena was able to grind out a solid victory over Lamar, taking the game 34-21.
Brody Peters was his usual excellent self, rushing for 195 yards and a touchdown while picking up 7.8 yards per carry. His rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his fourth straight game with at least 125 rushing yards dating back to last season. Mena also got help from Sean Sullivan, who showed off his sure hands for 100 receiving yards.
Mena didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jair Hernandez and Tripp Hensley. Hernandez is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. Hunter Mcclara was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making nine total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Mena was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 237 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Ozark, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They blew past Dover 46-21 on Friday. The match marked the Hillbillies' most dominant win of the season so far.
Koby Wilbanks continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 207 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 carries, while also throwing for 172 yards and a touchdown. His longest rush was for an impressive 68 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total.
Mena's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. As for Ozark, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Mena has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 214.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Ozark struggles in that department as they've been averaging 269.6. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Mena was dealt a bruising 45-7 loss at the hands of Ozark when the teams last played back in November of 2022. Thankfully for Mena, Eli Masingale (who rushed for 156 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 9.2 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
