The Payson Longhorns will face off against the Show Low Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Show Low is facing Payson at the wrong time: Payson suffered their first home loss of the season on Friday and they're likely out for redemption. They fell just short of the Dust Devils by a score of 34-31.
Meanwhile, Show Low took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 43-3 win over Shadow Mountain. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by 28 points or more this season.
Show Low's win came from a few key players Payson will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kash Perkins, who rushed for 75 yards and one touchdown on only five carries, and also threw for 114 yards and a pair of TDs on only ten passes. His passing game has become a key predictor of Show Low's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 1-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Jett Walker, who rushed for 100 yards and one score on only seven carries.
Show Low was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 244 rushing yards. They are a perfect 6-0 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Show Low pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 4.3 points on average over those games. As for Payson, their loss dropped their record down to 6-3.
Payson came out on top in a nail-biter against Show Low in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, sneaking past 24-21. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Walker, who picked up 122 receiving yards and one touchdown, and also rushed for 68 yards and one TD on only nine carries. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Longhorns still be able to contain Walker? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
