The Blountstown Tigers will take on the Hawthorne Hornets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Blountstown is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 30-3 victory over Pahokee. The Tigers' win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Blountstown had a senior duo take command as Amari Thomas gained 116 total yards and three touchdowns and Bowen Barber rushed for 59 yards and one TD. Barber was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 59 yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Blountstown proved: they limited Pahokee to a paltry -0.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Aaden Williams for the heroic effort on defense: he. Blountstown didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 6.4.
Meanwhile, Hawthorne's offense rose to the challenge against an Indians defense that boasted an average of only 14 points allowed on Friday. The Hornets breezed past Chiefland to the tune of 36-6. The victory continues a trend for the Hornets in their matchups with the Indians: they've now won six in a row.
Hawthorne found their leader in sophomore Richard Roundtree Jr, who threw for 213 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and also punched in two scores on the ground. A healthy portion of Roundtree Jr's aerial production (102 yards to be exact) went to Dominick Harvey, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.
Hawthorne didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off five passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Nathan Jennings and Willie Sutton. Hawthorne received some extra help from Kyler Ingram, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Blountstown's record is now 12-0. As for Hawthorne, their record now sits at 10-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided in the trenches. Blountstown has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 306.7 rushing yards per game. It's a different story for Hawthorne, though, as they've been averaging only 83.6 rushing yards. How will they fare against such a dominant running game?
Blountstown was dealt a bruising 49-0 defeat at the hands of Hawthorne when the teams last played back in November of 2023. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
