Gulfport has been on the road for three straight, but on Friday they'll finally head home. They will host the Brandon Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Both might be coming in a bit winded given these two teams combined for 1,109 yards in their previous games.
Gulfport is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Mississippi's top teams: Picayune, who was ranked 23rd in their home state at the time (Gulfport was ranked 13th). Gulfport put the hurt on Picayune with a sharp 41-21 victory on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Admirals, who have now won three contests by 20 points or more so far this season.
Cooper Crosby and Dakoreyon Payton were among the main playmakers for Gulfport as the former rushed for 243 yards and three touchdowns on only ten carries and the latter gained 248 total yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, Crosby is now averaging an impressive 122.8 rushing yards per game. The team also got some help courtesy of Dane Sullivan, who threw for 178 yards and a touchdown.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Gulfport was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 426 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 163 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, in a tight game that could have gone either way, Brandon made off with a 29-28 win over Warren Central.
Brandon found their leader in underclassman Tyson Robinson, who rushed for 214 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.9 yards per carry. Those 214 rushing yards set a new season-high mark for Robinson. Another rusher making a difference was Cj Martin, who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Gulfport's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Brandon, their win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1.
Friday's match might be decided in the on the ground. Gulfport has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 259.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Brandon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 156. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Gulfport lost to Brandon at home by a decisive 35-20 margin in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Thankfully for Gulfport, Nate Blount Iv (who rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns) 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.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
