After two games on the road, Walnut Ridge is heading back home. They will host the Harrisburg Hornets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Walnut Ridge is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 28.2 points per game this season.
Last Friday, Walnut Ridge ended up a good deal behind Newport and lost 53-35. The loss continues a trend for the Bobcats in their matchups with the Greyhounds: they've now lost five in a row.
Despite the defeat, Walnut Ridge got top-tier performance from Enrique Perez, who rushed for 249 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 11.9 yards per carry. That's the most rushing yards Perez has posted since back in November of 2023.
Even though they lost, Walnut Ridge was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 329 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 175 rushing yards in 20 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Harrisburg was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight loss. The matchup between them and Hoxie wasn't particularly close, with Harrisburg falling 33-14.
Despite their defeat, Harrisburg saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jayvin Thompson, who rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown, was perhaps the best of all.
Harrisburg wouldn't let Hoxie keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Harrisburg can thank Corbin Barker and Andrew England for forcing both of them.
Walnut Ridge's loss dropped their record down to 5-3. As for Harrisburg, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-7.
Friday's game might be decided in the on the ground. Walnut Ridge has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 343.9 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Harrisburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 149. It's looking like Friday's contest might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Walnut Ridge couldn't quite finish off Harrisburg in their previous matchup back in October of 2021 and fell 14-12. Can Walnut Ridge avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
