Arp and Troup are an even 5-5 against one another since October of 2015, but not for long. The Arp Tigers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Troup Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, Arp made easy work of Sabine and carried off a 46-20 victory. The game marked the Tigers' most dominant win of the season so far.
Arp's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Thomas Mckelvey, who threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.3 yards per attempt, and also rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown. Josh Smith was another key rusher, rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns on only ten carries.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Arp was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 246 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 161 rushing yards in four consecutive matchups.
Arp's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Isaac Poe and Wyatt Johnson.
Meanwhile, Troup was able to grind out a solid victory over Rusk last Friday, taking the game 24-14. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Tigers.
Troup's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Brett Wells, who rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns, and Bryce Wallum, who rushed for 125 yards on only 11 carries. Wallum's longest rush was for an impressive 61 yards, which helps to explain his lofty yards per carry total. Hayden Huml made the highlight reel by snagging an interception and taking it all the way to the house.
Troup wouldn't let Rusk keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Troup can thank Sean Flood and Jackson Waller for forcing both of them. Noble Kendrick was another major factor on D, making 15 total tackles (2.0 for loss).
Arp's win bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Troup, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Arp has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 249.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Troup struggles in that department as they've been averaging 304.2. It's looking like Friday's match might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Arp came up short against Troup when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 35-28. Can Arp avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
